Devouring Time
by Ginger Tree
Summary: Lux, after taking a fatal blow, makes a wish to go back in time to fix everything. His wish is granted, and this is that story.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: I don't own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut, I'm only writing this for fun.**

 **So during the course of this story, I'll be mostly following the light novel's plot, but I'll add my own details and make some changes, just so that it's not a copy and paste of the light novel, but the central plot will still go in the same direction**

 **And if anyone has any ideas for the story (character details, how one character should interact with another, etc.) let me know and I'll write it in if it seems interesting.**

* * *

Lux gasped at the pain ripping through him. He felt Bahamut's jet black amour being torn apart, a blade biting through his unprotected torso. Vaguely, he noted that shards of ragged metal were digging into his unprotected chest.

He knew it was stupid, what he had done. Knew that he still had things left to do. Sacred Eclipse hadn't been stopped yet, and the matter with Fugil hadn't been resolved, his murky lineage left unknown. And he wasn't even sure if everyone else was okay yet. Lisha, Krulcifer, Philiffy, Celis, the Triad, Airi. And of course, Yoruka.

But she was kind of a given, seeing as it was her that he had taken the fatal blow for.

Lux knew that his death would rattle her, that she would be left feeling lost. But when he saw Singlen's blade crashing down on her, his body had moved unthinkingly. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving her to die when he knew he could stop it.

Perhaps he was selfish, doing what he knew Yoruka herself would have never wanted him to do. He didn't regret it though, not the slightest.

"Aruji, sama…..?"

Yoruko called out disbelievingly to her master's back. A pool of blood was slowly forming at Lux's feet. She didn't want to believe what was happening, what had happened. Had she failed him as she'd failed her little brother?

 _No_

"Insolent fool, throwing away his life like this, without becoming neither king or hero. Looks like his caliber was only half-baked like this," sneered Singlen.

Feeling his consciousness growing murky, Lux couldn't help but feel ashamed.

 _Sorry Airi, I guess your big brother has to break a promise to you. I didn't want to leave you alone, but the others will take care of you, so you don't have to worry. Damn, I haven't finished my duty yet. As Lisha's knight, as the New Kingdom's Seven Dragon Paladin, as my classmates' strength._

For the first time since Fugil's betrayal, Lux felt tears threatening to overflow. He choked down a sob, or was that blood? He couldn't tell. Self-loathing clawed at him. He'd failed everyone and everything at the end.

 _If only I could go back and redo it all. What am I saying? This is all your own goddamned fault. This is all because you weren't strong enough. I don't deserve to say 'if only.' This is all my fault. If only I could rewind time, maybe then I-_

Lux was abruptly brought out of his self-loathing when his clouded vision caught sight of something.

 _Who is that?_ Lux thought.

Peering over him, an ethereal-looking girl leaned over into Lux's eyesight.

"I will grant you your wish," was all she said.

Then everything went black

* * *

With a jolt, and a shriek, Lux snapped awake.

"GAH!"

He realized that he was in a cold, damp cell, one that seemed very old, yet somehow familiar.

"Where am I? What happened? I died back there, I know I did."

Both his sword devices were gone, but that wasn't the strange thing. The strange thing was that he was wearing his usual outfit when he wasn't in uniform: white shirt with a short brown overcoat, and simple work pants. He was flabbergasted at how he was back in this outfit. He hadn't worn it in weeks!

If he had somehow survived and been kidnapped, there was no way that his assailants could've or would've gotten him in this outfit.

"What in the world?" Lux whispered softly.

"Are you awake, Prince?"

"GAH!"

He really needed to stop getting startled.

Walking through the doorway and stopping in front of his cell, was Lisesharte Atismata.

"Lisha-sama! You're okay, thank god! What's happening? Why-" Lux was relieved beyond all measure that she was alright. He felt a little of the tension easing out of his system, thought that was short lived.

"SILENCE, Fallen Prince! You've no right to refer to me so casually!" Lisha spat out, a hostile look in her eye.

 _What._

Lux was speechless. Lisha was, albeit very headstrong and vocal, never this rude with him, and she had never spoken to him like this. Not since they'd first met back when he-

The metaphorical light bulb flashed so brightly above his head, it was a miracle Lisha didn't notice it.

 _My wish when I was dying, that strange girl's words, this familiar cell, Lisha's behaviour, it all makes sense now._

"Now come on! Headmistress Relie wishes to speak with you. No doubt to met out punishment for your peeping in the girls' bath."

Lux had gone back in time, to when his story with the girls' had started.

Lux looked quite calm while he was being lead down the Academy's hall. Especially since he was handcuffed. But in his mind, he was panicking like a groom standing at the altar who'd just realized that he'd forgotten to buy a ring.

 _How is this possible? Is this actually the past, or is it some alternate timeline? Who was that girl? Am I just going insane?_

"We're here!"

Lisha pulled on his chains roughly as they neared a set of heavy, oaken doors.

"Ara, ara, hello there Lux," Relie greeted cheerfully, as if they were meeting over a nice brunch.

"Ah, hello Relie-san"

"Now, this is quite the situation you've gotten yourself into. Sneaking in and groping the 2nd-years while the 3rd-years are away."

"T-that was an accident! I was trying to return a stolen pochette and-" Lux rattled off. Even though he knew this was going to happen, he was still flustered at the accusation. He'd never been very good with these types of situations.

"No more excuses! Headmistress, how will we be punishing him?"

"Now, now Lisesharte, as a longtime acquaintance, I will vouch for Lux's innocence. He's not gutsy enough to do something like this.

 _Ouch,_ Lux thought, his pride a little hurt. _She's right kind of right though. The only reason these sorts of things happen is because of accidents._

Lux quickly shook the memories of other such incidents out of his head. Now would not be a good time to be thinking about that. He felt a minor blush forcing its way up at the memories, but quickly squashed it.

But at the thought of memories, Lux felt doubt and panic creeping up on him, the gravity of his situation finally setting in.

 _What if things don't turn out to be the same? Well, I guess the whole point of going back in time is so that things wouldn't be the same._

Lux shook his, he'd think about this later.

"-and so I'd like to ask Lux to work here," Relie was saying.

"WHAT?! We're going to allow this perverted, 'man', to work here?! What are you thinking?!" Lisha shouted.

"That's true, huh. Then what if we let the girls who were victims of this incident decide the punishment?" Relie replied, her usual calm smile still in place.

"Well then, I challenge you, Fallen Prince, to a duel. Should you win I'll overlook this incident and allow you to work here. Should you lose, however, I'll be handing you over to the guards as a common criminal," Lisha declared. She drew out her sword device, Tiamat, and pointed it at Lux. She smiled in a confidant way, and then walked over to the doors and threw them open.

On the other side, and enormous crowd of girls were listening in. Now that he had a chance to look, Lux realized that they all looked immensely embarrassed at being caught red handed. He had to stifle a laugh at their expressions.

"Oi, to all you eavesdroppers!" Spread the word that the Princess of the New Kingdom is about to do away with the Prince of the Old Empire!"

At once, wave of whispers erupted, the girls getting excited at what was to happen.

"Now that I'm thinking about it, even though you already seem to know my name, I haven't introduced myself properly yet. Greetings, Fallen Prince. I'm Lisesharte Atismata, princess of the kingdom that toppled your precious Old Empire."

Lux knew that this was meant to be taken as a threat, and it probably would've worked too, if he was like any other ruined prince. But, seeing as _**he himself**_ was the one who destroyed his country, it didn't work too well.

Lux smiled awkwardly at Lisha, who only glared at him.

* * *

"Mou, Nii-san, what were you thinking? Breaking into the girls bath house?"

Airi was sitting across from him on a couch, looking like she was scolding an exasperating little brother. Kinda ironic, since Lux was older by a year.

"Ah, sorry about that Airi. Did I cause trouble for you?"

"Nevermind that. Do you realize what will happen if you're handed over to the guards? We're already criminals as surviving members of the Arcadia Empire. How will I pay off the debt if your in jail?" Airi admonished.

"But it was an accident!"

Lux sighed, he knew he wasn't going to win against Airi. Still, it was nice to see her. There still that doubt that not everything would be the same. Looking over to Airi's right, Lux focused on Noct.

 _Still as proper and calm as ever,_ he noted fondly.

"Ah, this is my roommate Noct."

"Yes, it's really too bad that Airi's big brother is such an unbelievable pervert," Noct monotoned.

"Like I said, it wasn't my fault!"

At this point, getting flustered and defending himself had become a habit, what with Krulcifer teasing him all the time.

 _Speaking of Krulcifer, I wonder how she's doing? There still some time left before the matter with her engagement, but I'd like to try and talk to her first._

"Anyway, I'm going to tell you about Lisha-sama's Divine Drag-Ride, Tiamat, now Nii-san. You'd better pay attention. I'm not going to repeat myself, okay?"

"Ah, okay," _not that I really need to hear it though._

* * *

"The exhibition match between Princess Lisesharte Atismata and Lux Arcadia will be starting now!" Raigree announced.

The stadium was pretty full of cheering students. Which didn't help Lux's nerves.

 _Gotta make sure that the Gargoyle won't hurt them when it comes._

Lux couldn't just walk up and say "Hey you know that match that'll determine if I'm a criminal or not? Well, a Gargoyle's going to attack in the middle of it, though I can't tell you how I know. Can we please cancel the match?" Yeah, Lux didn't think that'd go over too well.

"Hey Fallen Prince! Do you know why I challenged you to a duel?" Lisha called out, just before the match started.

"Errr," Lux responded with uncertainty. He sweat dropped internally. Of course he knew the answer, but he couldn't really answer truthfully, now could he?

It'd be creepy if he said that it was because she was branded with the mark of the Old Empire on her pelvis.

 _That would be sexual harassment, I think._

"If you beat me, I just might tell you, you know?"

"MATCH START!"

Lux equipped his Wyvern, feeling the reassuring armour enfolding itself over him. At least some things don't change, no matter if in the past, future, or present.

"Just a mere Wyvern, Fallen Prince?" Lisha taunted with a hard smile."

Hovering there in the sun's rays, her and Tiamat's silhouette looked truly formidable. Lux held his breath, remembering once again how powerful and beautiful she was.

 _I'm lucky to be her knight. Now, if I could stay alive long enough to be her knight again, that'd be nice._

Almost immediately Lisha launched her airborne fortresses, the small flying projectiles Tiamat controlled.

Lux, honed again and again through high risk combat, reacted immediately. Quick as lightning he shot up on the air, and agile as a dancer he dodged the projectiles. He stood the beat chance of winning when he was in the air, and he'd be better prepared to fend off the Abyss that should be appearing in just a few minutes.

"Do you dance, Fallen Prince? My dance is a little on the rough side," Lisha taunted with an intimidating smile.

Without really thinking, Lux responded.

"I do dance, but I'm not always good," he said softly, "But I do hope to match your pace"

Lisha looked at him, a bit startled at his response.

 _What the hell is he talking about? Maybe he's just gotten delusional_

She shook off her thought. Now was the time to fight, not to contemplate.

 _But something's wrong,_ Lisha thought, narrowing her eyes at Lux's flickering form.

Her airborne fortresses, though keeping him occupied, couldn't land a solid hit on Lux. His form was incredibly confidant, not a move was made that was unneeded. In fact, it seemed as if he already knew what was going to happen, reading their movements like a script.

She wasn't far off.

Having all the knowledge and experience he gained from the future, Lux was powerful. Much more than anyone could ever expect. He was a warrior, a veteran almost. Piloting a Drag-Ride was natural to him at this point, the metal's weight reassuring against body. He felt free in this armour, even though it wasn't Bahamut.

But that doesn't mean he was slacking off. After all, it was still a common Wyvern against a fabled Tiamat.

He knew he still had to keep his guard up, he wasn't going to let hubris wouldn't be his Achilles' heel.

But it's not like anyone could ever seriously fathom Lux falling into hubris.

"It seems like you weren't called the Weakest Undefeated for no reason, huh. Well, I guess as a sign of respect I'll show you a somewhat fancy move."

 _Wait,_ Lux thought, _isn't this where she uses Seven Heads?_

 _*BOOOOM!*_

A ray of condensed energy shot through the air, barely missing Lux as he dodged it, and cleanly punched the barriers the instructor's Wyrms had created.

 _Yep, that's definitely when she uses Seven Heads._

* * *

"Jeez, don't you think Lisha-sama's overdoing it a little?" Tillfar asked with a slightly frazzled smile.

"Yes, Airi's big brother could be in serious trouble at this rate," Noct ask, with just the slightest hint of concern.

"Perhaps we should stop the match?" Sharis suggested. She had no desire to see him seriously hurt, even if he was a prince of the Old Empire. He had seemed harmless enough to her, and Airi had spoken highly of him.

But that doesn't mean she wasn't wary of him.

"It's fine," Airi interjected, "even though my brother's weak-willed, when he's decided on something, he'll definitely see it through."

The Triad looked at her, confused. Clearly, they were expecting some details or an explanation, but Airi just looked on calmly at the match.

"And besides," she said, a smile on her face," He surely stands a chance of winning."

* * *

"Instructors, reset your barriers!" Raigree called out.

At this point, Lisha was getting frustrated.

 _Why can't I hit him?! He's clearly on the defensive and I clearly have the upper hand but…_

Lux looked to sure of the situation. He was breathing hard, yes, but somehow she couldn't imagine a scenario where he lost.

"I guess I'll have to got all out. SPRAY SHOT!" Lisha called out, thrusting her great sword downwards.

The gravity around Lux immediately strengthened, forcing him to the ground, but Lux was prepared. He had felt Lisha's Spray Shot before, after all.

He had recognized the preparatory movements from Tiamat, and had immediately braced himself. Still, it didn't mean he didn't grit his teeth at the pressure.

 _Still strong,_ he thought.

His body may not be as strong as before, and his stamina may have been cut, but Lux knew that he could still go on.

 _I'll have to start training again. It's hard to believe I had let myself go this much during the five years as the citizens' handyman._

Lux's version of "letting himself go," was him not being able to move a hunk of metal continuously at high speeds for long enough without getting tired. Add on the fact that his Wyvern has weights added so that it felt like Bahamut (minus the extra power of course), and that he was evading 16 homing projectiles, and you'd hear a lot of internet addicted teenagers cursing Lix in their minds.

Anyway, back to the thing at hand.

Soon, the pressure lightened, and Lux took off to the sky.

"...he's doing remarkably well," Sharis said, focusing intently on the silver-haired teenagers movements. She was trying to analyze them and remember them for future reference, but with Lux's speed, it was kind of hard to do.

"Yes, it's incredible that he's lasted this long against a Divine Drag-Ride with only a Wyvern," Noct added. Though she hid it well, she was rather surprised at Lux's ability.

 _I don't think I've ever seem someone pilot a Drag-Ride so well. Not even an instructor or one of the nobles._

"Haaah, your brother's pretty good Airi," Tillfar said, eyes wide and impressed. "Maybe we oughta ask him for some pointer. If he's, you know, not in jail after this."

While the Triad were appreciating Lux's skill, Airi was in silent confusion.

 _Was Nii-san always this good? Of course, he's the Black Hero, and he's been keeping up with his training. But still, this is almost otherworldly. To think he's only 17 and already so...seasoned._

She didn't worry too much though. If he was stronger, he could protect himself better, was Airi's thought.

"Hah...hah...hah,"

Lisha was breathing hard, cold sweat dripping down her forehead, strands of blonde hair clinging to her skin.

After continuously commanding 16 airborne fortresses, firing off Seven Heads, and activating Spray Shot, all in the span of a handful of minutes, it could only be expected that Lisha would be tired. Though exhausted would probably be a better term at this point.

Lux was also tired, but from his posture, it was clear that he could still go on, and that frustrated Lisha.

 _Why can't I beat him?! Why-_

Her thought was cut short when Tiamat started to emit high-pitched warning sounds, along with the releasing of pulses of light. It was going out of control.

"Am I…going to lose, because of something like this?!" She shouted out angrily.

But Lux was preoccupied with something else.

 _The Gargoyle should show up any moment now, but where? I don't remember exactly._

He knew that Lisha wouldn't listen to him, even if he was to suggest that she unequip Tiamat. But he also knew that she wasn't self-destructive enough to endanger her life over a mock battle. And he trusted the instructors to step in if it got too dangerous. Well, at least until the Gargoyle showed up, then it'd be him that was to step in.

*GRAAAAAHHH*

An unearthly howl tore through the bright midday sky, startling all but Lux.

 _There it is!_

The Gargoyle clamp its massive jaws and claws on an instructor's Wyrm, and digging through the armour, and shook it around a few times before throwing it to the side and howling again.

"INSTRUCTORS, PROTECT THE STUDENTS AT ALL COSTS!" Raigree commanded, drawing her own sword device, preparing for battle.

In the spectator seats, the students where in chaos. Though they were talented cadets, they were still teenagers.

People ran screaming, forgetting about their lessons on keeping calm and such. The Syvalles though, were a different story.

Quickly, the members of the elite group started giving out instructions and calming the panicked, all the while keeping a hand on their sword devices and an eye on the Abyss. They knew to be prepared to fight back.

Lisha was no exception.

 _Damn, Tiamat's still raging. I can't protect the others like this. I might as well be a sitting duck. Why is there even an Abyss here?'_

She gritted her teeth. As a Divine Drag-Rode user, it was shameful for her to be so vulnerable, she thought.

Lux, though, was prepared.

Quick as lightning, he was on the Gargoyle.

It of course, jumped back, but Lux was hot on its trail.

They were both in the sky, caught in a game of cat and mouse where the roles kept being switched.

"Lux Arcadia! Just hold on! Help will arrive shortly!" Raigree called. At the moment, she and the other instructors couldn't call their own Drag-Rides until the students were all safely evacuated.

Gargoyles were known to chase those who moved around too quickly. And while Lux was keeping it occupied, Raigree and the other instructors were worried that the Gargoyle would turn its attention to the still panicked students running around in the stands. They couldn't afford to risk leaving the students' side until every one of them was gone.

Back in the air, the Gargoyle swung a powerful arm at Lux, before suddenly turning to lung at the resting Lisha down below.

Lisha flinched, but the Gargoyle never made it that far.

Lux had near instantly pursued it and shot off a ball of energy, which found its mark on the Gargoyle's back.

*GRAAAAAHHH!*

It howled in pain, and turned back at Lux, who had closed the distance between them, and who slashed at it in that exact moment.

*GRAAAAAHHHH!*

 _Amazing,_ Lisha thought in wonder. He had been moving non stop since the match had started. Between her and the Gargoyle, he had to be tired, yet his movement's precision hadn't dulled the slightest.

 _I might have to change my opinion of you, Prince. I didn't expect you to protect me or the Academy's students and staff. Doesn't mean I'm going to stand by and let you do all the work though._

With the last of her energy, after Tiamat finally calmed down, she sent her airborne fortresses after the Gargoyle. They struck the thing's back, where Lux's canon had damaged its hide.

*GRAAAAAAHHH!*

It howled again and turned around, whereupon Lux struck the fatal blow to its back. His great sword pierced the Abyss's chest, and came out the other side, ending its life.

Slowly, the corpse slid off Lux's blade, and fell to the ground when a dull thud. There was silence as Lux landed as well, with a lighter thump than the corpse.

And then he promptly pitched forward as his sword device equipped. And he was also losing consciousness.

 _Shoot, I pushed myself too hard_

Throughout the fight, both with Lisha and the Gargoyle, he had been straining himself, his body not as strong as it was in the future.

 _I guess that's a good thing; it means I had improved._ He comforted himself. Then, he passed out.

"Lux!" Lisha called out in concern, dispelling Tiamat and running to check up on him.

* * *

"Woooow, your big bro sure did a number, didn't he?" Tillfar called out cheerfully as the Triad and Airi walked through the halls.

This was a little while after the incident, and they were walking to their rooms. They'd been told that Lux probably wouldn't wake up for a while, so they'd decided to turn in for the night.

"Do you mean on himself or the Gargoyle, Tillfar-san?" Airi replied. She was more than a little angry and worried.

 _Stupid Nii-san. What was he thinking?! Passing out like that._

Internally, Airi was worried sick. She had always hated it when her big brother got hurt, even more so when he passed out.

It brought back memories of that time he slept away a week after overusing Bahamut. She had thought that he wouldn't wake up at all, that she'd lose her last family member and the last one that cared for her.

Needless to say, she'd been near hysterical back then. Now, she only had an incredibly strong urge to go back to her brother's side. Not nearly as bad.

"Yes, it was quite reckless what he did, but it was necessary." Noct replied.

"He'll be fine, don't worry!" Sharis assured. She has a feeling that it'd take more than a Gargoyle to keep him down. Call it a hunch.

"Hey, what do guys think Lisha-sama's going to do with him now?" Tillfar asked again, "I don't think she'd send him to jail after what he did. And she seemed quite concerned about him after he collapsed."

"Yes, I don't think she's heartless enough to do something like that."

"Whatever happens, Nii-san had it coming," Airi muttered.

"Airi might talk like that, but I feel that she's really worried and wants to go back to her big brother's side," Noct said.

"! Noct, you don't need to mention that!" Airi said, panicked and flustered. The Triad laughed good naturedly.

* * *

"Uh, ow, my head,"

 _And my arms, and my legs, and my torso. Everything really._

He looked around and realized that he was in the infirmary. And that Lisha was standing with a washcloth and basin of water.

"Oh, you're awake. The doctor here's pretty good, but…" she trailed off, looking at his bandaged chest.

"Oh you don't need to worry! I'll be fine after some rest!"

There was a silence as Lisha wrung out the cloth.

"Why'd you protect me? Why'd you protect us?" she finally asked.

"Huh?"

She stared at him, slightly blushing.

"Well, I wanted to. You, and the rest, were in danger, and so I protected you."

Lisha blushed more.

"...it's the first time a man's ever said that to me," she mumbled. Lix smile gently at her.

"Thanks for nursing me too, though you didn't have too," Lux said kindly, lowering his head slightly. He'd miss talking to Lisha-the friendly, boisterous, eccentric one, not the hostile, hard one.

"...Lux Arcadia, was everyone in the royal family as humble as you?"

"Probably not, I'm not sure though. I was thrown out pretty early after all."

There was a silence, before Lisha broke it.

"I'll show you why I was so angry at you for groping me in the bathhouse," Lisha suddenly said.

 _Well I didn't really grope her but- wait, show me why? Isn't this where she shows me that mark?!_

Flustered, Lux tried to stop her, but was too late.

Lisha had pulled down her skirt to reveal the red burn marked scorched onto her pelvis, right above her nether region.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Lux got a generous eyeful before he turned away. While Lisha was certainly beautiful, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable or disrespect her.

Or maybe it was an instinct at this point. He seemed to be pretty good at putting himself in these sorts of situations. That must be why Krulcifer-san was always calling him perverted.

"D-did you see it?" Lisha asked quietly and nervously.

Lux could only nod, tongue-tied and still embarrassed beyond belief.

"Y-you know, you don't seem very surprised."

"Oh, um, it's just that I, uh, that I," Lux panicked, trying to think of an explanation. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"It's okay, I understand. You saw it in the bathhouse right? That's why I was mad. A prince of the Old Empire had seen the princess of the New Kingdom with the mark of the Old Empire. That could cause major problems, you know?"

"Yeah," Lux trailed off. Honestly, he didn't like lying to her. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Could you promise me to keep it a secret?" she whispered almost shyly, fixing her clothes.

"I swear that I'll not say a word. I promise," Lux said, looking at her earnestly, now that she wasn't exposed.

 _I won't break that promise. Not on my life._

"T-that's great," Lisha said, breathing a sigh of relief. It had been a huge risk to talk to him personally like this. But she didn't regret it, not at all.

 _Somehow, I feel that I can trust this guy, even he's a prince of that Old Empire._

"Oh yeah! Staring tomorrow, you'll be a student here at the Academy," Lisha added, almost as an afterthought.

"...Understood," Lux replied happily.

 _I'm back. Back home at the Academy, where I belong._

 _This time, I won't screw it up. I'll protect them, I swear it on Bahamut's and Wyvern's sword device._


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: I don't own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut, I'm only writing this for fun.**

* * *

"We have a new student joining us today. Hey, introduce yourself," Raigree told Lux.

He was standing up front, back in his uniform, looking at his classmates.

 _This feels nostalgic,_ Lux thought as he eyes scanned the familiar faces.

 _There's Lisha-sama and Phi-chan and Krulcifer-san and Tillfar-san. Thank god, it looks like they're all here. That's good, I'm relieved._

"I'm Lux Arcadia, it's nice to meet you and please take care of me," Lux said happily, bowing to the class.

"Now then, go find a seat somewhere," Raigree told him.

 _Let's see now, I should go sit next to Phi-chan, like before._

He walked by the others' desk, and felt the whispers and untrusting eyes boring into his back. He winced a little on the inside.

 _That's right, they don't trust me yet_

It had been a long time since anyone had been hostile towards him because of his status as a fallen prince. It hurt more coming from them, since he had grown to care for everyone here. They'd fought side by side, but now, he may as well be an enemy.

 _I'll just have to earn back their trust,_ he thought calmly, yet still determinedly. _Ah here's Phi-chan's desk._

"Phi-chan! How are you doing?" Lux asked, feigning surprise. He had keep up his image as a new student after all.

"...Phi-chan?" the rest of his class whispered.

"Hey, do you think they're together?!"

"What a cute nickname!" one squealed.

 _Oh crap!_

Lux felt his face flushing. He had gotten so used to to calling her Phi-chan, that he unconsciously called her that here.

" _..._ Hey Lu-chan. I'm doing good," Philuffy responded with a soft smile.

"She called him Lu-chan!"

"Do they have that sort of relationship?"

"So cute!" the same person squealed.

 _Kill me now._

"Pffff...ahem, Lux Arcadia, do you know her?" Raigree asked after stifling her laughter. To her, the thought of a prince of the ruthless Old Empire fondly calling one of her students "Phi-chan" was hilarious.

 _It seems he's not all bad_

"Ah, yes. She's a childhood friend," Lux responded, face still red from embarrassment.

"Then that'll be your seat,"

"Understood,"

Lux settled down in his usual seat beside Phillufy.

 _This feels calming,_ he thought idly, feeling himself relaxing.

"Turn your textbooks to page 18,"

"Oh, hey Phi-chan, could we share your textbook? I haven't gotten mine yet,"

"Pfffff,"

Raigree halted her lecture as she tried to force down her laughter, and the rest of the class broke into giggles and whispers.

Lux felt his blush growing again, and thought about banging his head on his desk. But he knew that Philuffy wouldn't share with him unless he called her Phi-chan.

"Sure, Lu-chan," she said, giving him a soft smile and moving closer to him so that they could both read her textbook.

Lisha looked unhappily at the two behind her, while Tillfar just laughed.

* * *

"Hey, Lux-kun, is it true that you're the citizen's handyman?"

"Yes that's right, it's my duty,"

It was lunchtime, and his classmates had crowded around his desk. They seemed to have lost their hostility after his exchange with Phi-chan. Though it didn't change that he had been very embarrassed, it was still worth it.

"How about I make a request then?" one girl asked.

"Hey I wanna make one too!" another added excitedly.

His classmates started getting rowdy, but before things could go out control, Tilldar showed up with a box and a stack of paper.

"If you want to make a request to Lux-chi, please write it here and deposit it in this box!" she called out happily.

Instantly, the girls swarmed the box and began submitting requests. Lux looked fondly at them. Before, he was sent back to the past, he had gotten busy with the matter of Sacred Eclipse and his job as a Seven Dragon Paladin. It was nice to return to his simple Academy life.

"Thanks, Tillfar-san," Lux said, smiling at her.

"No problem! Oh hey, by the way, you did pretty good yesterday! It's amazing that you were able to beat that Gargoyle!"

"Ah, well, I did have help from Lisha-sama after all,"

"But you still did pretty good for just a Wyvern!" Tillfar insisted.

"I've practiced a bit,"

An understatement from Lux, not that he himself recognized it.

"Still, aren't females supposed to have bigger compatibility rates with Drag-Rides? What kind of training do you do?" Tillfar asked brightly. She had seen his skill and wanted to see if she could get some pointers.

 _I can't drag Sharis or Noct behind. He's a Wyvern user, like me, so maybe he could give me some help!"_

Sometimes she felt inadequate, what with the Divine Drag-Ride users and all. She wasn't bitter about it, she just knew that she had to work harder to keep up. And she expected that. She also knew that Sharis and Noct probably felt the same way. They would all work hard though, and get better. She was determined and trusted that they'd do good.

"Ah, if you're okay with me, I'll be glad to give you a hand in training, or teach some little tricks I have," Lux offered.

 _She and the rest of the Triad will be fighting tough opponents in the future. I want to better prepare them so they won't have as hard of a time._

"Really?! Then I'll be in your care, Prince!" she answered excitedly.

 _This is a good chance. I'll get Sharis and Noct to come as well!_

"Hey no fair, we want extra practice too-"

someone started.

"H-hey Lux!" Lisha cut them off as she walked towards him, face red.

"Ah, hello Lisha-sama!" he greeted pleasantly.

"Um, I'd like to, I'd like to offer you a job as my personal attendant."

Silence, then pandemonium.

"KYAAAAA!"

"Hey, this is the first time Lisha-sama's requested for an attendant before! And a guy at that! What do you think that means?"

The girls broke out in talk, and Lux sweatdropped.

 _I'd forgotten about this part._

"Hey, you're bothering Lu-chan,"

The familiar monotone voice of Philuffy broke in.

"The airhead girl, huh. Look, if you stay out of our conversation, I'll give you a donut okay?"

"..."

Philuffy took the offered donut and finished it within a few moments. She licked the sugary residue off her fingers before facing Lisha again.

"...Leave Lu-chan alone,"

"This girl!"

It seemed like an argument might break out, but Lux smiled fondly at the sight. The two fought like this before too (or is that after?)

"Hey, do you mind if I borrow the new student for a moment?" a calm voice cut in.

Krulcifer stood there, graceful on her face. Her aura and posture were as dignified as ever, exuding a silent strength.

 _Krulcifer-san!_

"What do you want Krulcifer?" Lisha asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

"The Headmistress wanted to speak to him, and so she sent me to fetch him," she responded calmly, "Unless you want to against her words."

"..." Lisha didn't say anything.

"Well then, come Lux-san,"

"Okay,"

As they left the room, the whispers started again.

"Even the talented Krulcifer-san's after him!"

"This is getting exciting!"

Lisha fumed silently, and Philuffy stared at them while she ate another donut.

"Hey! I only gave you that one donut! Don't keep eating my food!"

* * *

"Thanks for the help, Krulcifer-san," Lux said sheepishly as they walked along.

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked innocently, smiling gracefully at him.

"You helped me back there, right?"

"I did. I'm a little surprised that you were able to pick up on that though. It seems you're not as childish as your face makes you seem,"

"Hey!" Lux cried, flustered.

 _My face doesn't look that boyish, does it?_

"I'm joking," she smiled, "Anyway, could I put in a request with you?"

"...Of course, go ahead."

Lux already knew what she was going to ask.

"Find the Black Hero for me. I have business with him,"

"Alright,"

Krulcifer stopped abruptly and turned to face him.

"Is that it? 'Alright'?"

"You have your own reason for finding him, and important one it seems like. I'm just a handyman, I don't pry unnecessarily,"

Truthfully, Lux wanted to tell her everything, about him going back to the past, about what's happened in the future.

He had always trusted and relied on Krulcifer a lot, but he knew he couldn't, not now anyway.

 _If I'm too forward, she won't trust me. She's far too cautious and observant for that. I'm kind of sad though, I can't talk to any of them like I used too._

He hadn't known how much he enjoyed familiar conversation with everyone from Syvalles. It startled him a bit.

 _It's alright,_ he thought to himself, _As long as they're safe, that's all that matters. I can gain back their trust with time._

 _Hopefully._

"You're not quite like I expected, you know? Especially from a prince of that Old Empire."

Lux smiled awkwardly at her.

"You think so?"

 _Ahhhh, I'm tired._

Lux walked into one of the Academy's many rooms. This one seemed to be a lounge or a waiting room of sorts. The were a few couches and a low table, and not much else.

 _This looks like a good place to sleep._

He didn't want to fall asleep in the corridor and have Phi-chan carry him to her room. The cuddling had been nice, but Phi-chan's exposure had been a bit...much.

Lux really didn't want to go through that embarrassment again, even if he liked hugging her. He felt his face reddening at the memory and thought.

Lux quickly shook them away, and plopped down on a sofa for some sleep.

* * *

At daybreak, Lux's internal alarm woke him up. With a yawn, he washed up and started doing early morning chores.

And he started his exercise too.

At an empty training ground, Lux did his warm up: some light jogging and stretching. Then, he started his endurance and Drag-Ride handling.

He equipped Wyvern and started doing drills. Over and over, he maneuvered through unseen enemies and fended of phantom blows. He didn't know how long he was at it, but he noticed a presence watching him when he stopped for a break.

"Um, hello?"

Out walked Sharis, clad in her piloting clothes and armed with her Wyrm.

"Hey Lux! Fancy seeing you here,"

Lux nodded at her and grinned.

"Good morning Sharis-senpai. Are you here for a morning practice as well?"

"Yeah, but I didn't expect anyone else to be here. Usually it's only Celis thar here this early,"

 _Yep, that's definitely Celis-senpai._

"But I decided to get in some extra training today. After all, you never know what might happen," Sharis continued pleasantly.

Truth to be told, she had wanted to try out some techniques she'd seen Lux use against Lisha and the Gargoyle. It was good luck that he was here too.

"Do you want to practice together, senpai?"

"Sure! Make sure you keep up though!"

At the end of their practice, Sharis was exhausted.

 _Just how long can this guy pilot a Drag-Ride?!_

Lux was tired and breathing hard too, but not nearly as much as her. Her pride as a senior stung a bit, but she waved it off. No sense getting angry over this. She'd already known that he was better than most. It still surprised her though.

"Hey Lux," Sharis said after she finally caught her breath, "I saw you doing some weird movements back there. What were they for?"

Lux had been practicing his quick draw.

"Oh, um, just some moves I made up that I find useful sometimes in combat,"

"Moves you made up, huh? Would you mind showing them to me later?"

"Sure!"

Lux didn't want to go into the 3 hidden moves he'd devised until they knew about Bahamut. He felt that it wouldn't raise as many questions that way.

 _Oh yeah, Tillfar asked me to show her some pointers. Actually, it'd probably be good if I taught the Triad the moves and helped them in their training._

"Hey Sharis-senpai? Would you like to practice together more in the future?"

"Hoh, is my junior flirting with me~?" Sharis asked him teasingly as she wiped off her sweat.

*CHOKE*

"NO!" Lux yelled out, coughing out the water that'd he been drinking, "I didn't mean it like that! It's just, I feel like it'd be better for us to train together. We'll improve more that way. And I was thinking that Tillfar and Noct could join in too,"

"You're aiming for all three of us? You're quite a player aren't you, Fallen Prince?" Sharis answered, stifling her laughter.

"NO!"

In the end, Sharis agreed and promised to ask Tillfar and Noct when she saw them.

"Ah, I think Tillfar will agree. She's already asked me for some tips before,"

"Okay then, it'll mostly be Noct then who I need to ask. I'll get going then, breakfast should be ready now,"

"Yes, I'll be going as well,"

They bid each other goodbye and seperated.

 _He's quite fun to tease,_ Sharis thought to herself, snickering at the memory of Lux's aghast expression.

She didn't expect a prince of the infamous Old Empire to be that amiable. He was pleasant to be around, reassuring in a way.

 _He's strong as well. It'd be good for us three to have him teach us. It was smart of Tillfar to have asked him already._

Most people ignored it on account of her being so talkative and exuberant, but Tillfar is actually very observant and good at making decisions. There was no error in her being a member of Syvalles.

 _That fallen prince will make things quite interesting around here, especially once Celis and the other third years get back. What will you do, Lux?"_

* * *

"Good morning Airi!" Lux called out cheerfully as he sat down for breakfast.

"Good morning Nii-san. What were you doing? You're late to breakfast,"

She was sitting in front of breakfast: vegetable soup, white bread, and eggs sunny-side up. She had already started eating.

"Oh, I was a bit late cleaning up after my morning exercises," Lux said, picking up a slice of bread.

"...I hope you aren't pushing yourself, Nii-san. You're still hurt from yesterday," Airi said, glaring at him.

"N-nope! I just did normal exercises,"

"Somehow, I don't believe you. Jeez Nii-san, you have to take care of yourself! What if you collapse again?"

"S-sorry Airi,"

"You say sorry, but you're going to do it again anyway," Airi muttered, and then got up.

"I'm going, please finish eating quickly, Nii-san,"

"Oh, I was hoping to eat together,"

"...if I spend anymore time around you, I'd be reluctant to leave," she whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing, bye Nii-san"

 _I wonder what that was all about,_ Lux thought as he bit into a slice of bread, _Huh, p_ _robably nothing._

* * *

Lux came up to the Drag-Ride maintenance building.

He had done some more chores from the huge list Tillfar had assembled for him, and now he was about to do the last one from the manager of the maintenance building, Lisha.

"Hello?" he called out as he walked in.

"Oh, hey Lux!"

Lisha put down the part she was tinkering with. She was wearing the oversized robe that marked her as the manager, but since she was so small, it looked a tad bit out of place.

 _Honestly though, they still suit her,_ Lux thought at he watched her.

"What can I do for you, Lisha-sama?"

Of course he already knew, but he still had to play along.

"Look I fixed your Wyvern for you!" Lisha said proudly, handing him his sword device.

"As the princess of the New Kingdom of Atismata, I also recognize your skill as a Drag-Knight, and recommend you to Syvalles, the elite group of cadets from the Academy,"

"Though," she added, "You'll have to wait until the third years are back before you're officially a member,"

"...Thank you, truly," Lux said, lowering his head.

He meant it with all his heart. It was with her that his journey to recovery, after Fugil's betrayal, started. It was with her that he'd grown strong again. He owned her more than he felt he could ever repay.

 _I promise I'll do better this time around._

"D-don't mention it! A-anyway, are you busy right now?"

"No, why?"

* * *

Lux and Lisha were atop of the bell tower at the center of town, looking down at the town below them.

They'd taken a walk around town and gotten some snacks from the vendors on the streets. Now they were relaxing in the mtower.

"The view's beautiful here," Lux breathed, he'd forgotten how wonderful it was up here.

"Isn't it? I found this place a while back, and now I like to come here to relax!"

Lisha stepped up to on the edge of the window. The window without glass or handrails. Basically just a hole in the wall.

"U-um, Lisha-sama, are you sure that's safe?"

"Of course, I do this all the time!"

 _That doesn't mean it's safe though,_ Lux sweatdropped.

"You know Lisha-sama, you're pretty incredible," Lux started.

"You're an amazing Drag-Knight and mechanic, on top of being a princess."

"...I wonder about that," Lisha responded.

"Do you think that I'm a good princess? Or just a fake one?"

"..." Lux stayed silent, urging her to go on.

"When my father, Count Atismata, died, and my aunt became queen, a lot of expectations were placed on me. And I understand, you know? The people had just been freed from decades of tyrannical rule. They wanted a figurehead who could be trusted for once,"

"But, what would they say, if they found out I was branded with the mark of the Old Empire? What if I fail to meet expectations? What if I'm not a good princess?"

Lisha turned to look at Lux with somber eyes.

"Hey, as a prince of the Old Empire, could you tell me what to do? To be a righteous princess. How to do it?"

Silence, before Lux broke it.

"...Lisha-sama, you'll be a great princess. You ARE a great princess. You are strong, you are determined. You're a great drag-knight, and a marvelous engineer and mechanic too. Not many, royalty or not, can claim that."

"...Thanks Lux," she responded with a small smile.

 _You don't believe me, do you Lisha-sama?_ Lux cursed himself. _I'm sorry, I guess I didn't communicate it well enough. Well, I'm off to a great start._

"Anyway! I've been meaning to ask, can I see that sword device you've got there? I've never seen anything like that before!"

 _Crap._

"Oh, um, sorry, no you can't. I mean! It's being, the queen entrusted this to me and told me not to show it off," Lux tried to lie. He was always terribly at lying in these scenarios.

"Really?" Lisha squinted her eyes suspiciously at him, "Well, I guess if Mother ordered you not to…"

"Right! Anyway we should get back down! It's getting cold!"

They walked through the front gate of the Academy, and bidded each other goodnight.

"Where do you sleep anyways Lux? I didn't think we had any empty rooms left,"

"Oh, I've just been sleeping on sofas until Headmistress Relie figures something out,"

 _But knowing her, she'll probably just force me to sleep with Phi-chan anyways._

And with that, they split.

But Lux wasn't going to sleep just yet.

He walked into an empty room and sat down on a sofa next to a small coffee table. Slowly, he unsheathed both Wyvern and Bahamut.

 _Hello again, Bahamut, Wyvern. I'll be counting on you guys again tomorrow._

Methodically, he started wiping down his blades with a scrap of cloth he'd brought with him. Lux needed to be at his best. Tomorrow at dawn, _he_ attacks.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: I don't own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut, I'm only writing this for fun.**

* * *

An hour before daybreak, and Lux's dark silver eyes fluttered open.

In the dark, his eyes nearly shimmered, a trait he wasn't sure was common among the Arcadia family. He should probably get that checked out.

He rose softly, without sound, and attached his sword belt, and exited the room.

 _I need to get to the drag-ride hangar._

* * *

A loud, brassy sound clang noisily and repeatedly, breaking the calm of the early morning. It was the alarm.

Lux stood hidden behind a large oak tree just off to the side of the hangar. Any minute now, the members of Syvalles would arrive, and it would be too suspicious if he was somehow there before them.

Still, he'd wanted to have been there early, just in case things changed.

He thought of the butterfly effect, where one small action heavily impacted larger events further down the line. Like how the breeze of a fragile butterfly's wings might end up creating a storm in the end.

Well, that was a gross exaggeration, but it made for a nice image.

He heard the pitter-patter of feets, and then the voices.

"What's wrong?!"

"What's happening?! Is it an Abyss?!"

Voices started shouting, commands and explanations being given. Lux thought he'd heard Lisha's voice and the Triad's.

 _Time to come out._

He smoothly stepped out from his hiding spot, and ran over to join them.

"What's wrong? What was that sound?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

It was Lisha who responded.

"There's a large Abyss at the edge of town. The local forces aren't enough, so they've asked the Syvalled to act as reinforcements,"

"Could I help as well?"

Lisha only smiled.

"Sorry Lux,! Only officials members of the Syvalles are allowed to be dispatched. Don't worry though, I'm pretty strong!"

"I don't doubt that for a second, but please, if I could just be allowed to participate-"

"Hey, you two! Stop chit chatting! Lizeshart, you have to get ready to go, and Lux! You're not a member of Syvalles! Don't get in the way!" Raigree yelled out.

Lux gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew that he probably wouldn't have gotten permission. It was still frustrating though.

"Syvalles, move out!"

One by one, the drag-rides took off. Lux stood there watching for a moment, before turning to leave.

 _I need to find somewhere to take off._

Soon, they'd be back with a message saying that they'd been ambushed. He couldn't very well just idle around waiting for it.

"Nii-san! Where are you going?!"

Airi saw his face, cold as opposed to his normally relaxed and open one. He was only ever like when he was going into a fight.

"I'm going to help,"

"Don't be ridiculous! Syvalles will have it under control! There's no need for you to go!" she pleaded.

"...But there's something weird, Abysses never appear so often. I just, have a feeling something's wrong,"

"But, Nii-san…"

Lux flashed a smile at his little sister.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Promise,"

"..."

Airi turned away from him, hiding her face.

"...remember that you promised, Nii-san," she finally said.

"Of course,"

With that, Lux started to leave, but not before finding Krulcifer.

"Um, Krulcifer-san?"

She was standing next to the hangar, watching the drag-rides take off.

"Do you need something, fallen prince?"

"I have a favour. If anything goes wrong, could you go out and help Syvalles?"

She looked at him inquisitively.

"...that probably won't happen, you know? It's just a single Abyss. And even if it did, my life belongs to my home country, the Ymir Theocracy. I can't risk it,"

"If you do," he said, "I'll tell you who the Black Hero is. Even if nothing happens, I'll still tell you. I just want you to promise to help if something goes wrong,"

"...deal."

At that, Lux whispered a name to her, and turned and left. He missed her astonished expression.

 _What?_ She thought.

* * *

"All unites take aim!" Lisha called out.

In front of them was a giant slime-like Abyss. It's body was made of a slippery, blue, gel-like substance. Because of that, most attacks bounced off harmlessly. The only option was to aim for the blood-red core hidden inside.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, fi-"

An eerie, high pitched sound sailed through the air. The slime convulsed madly, before exploding.

"What the fu-"

The remains hadn't hurt any of them, but it was baffling that it would self-destruct. There hadn't been a case of this ever happening before.

Then, from the remains of the slime, _things_ started coming out.

The students watched in horror as dozens of Gargoyles emerged from the remains.

 ***GGGRAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!***

They roared, and dove towards the students.

"Retreat!" Lisha commanded. She didn't need to repeat herself. With this many, they would need almost the entire army to come help.

The students fled madly back to the city, but they knew it'd be pretty hopeless. The Gargoyles would simply fly over the barricades.

Already, the Gargoyles were catching up. The faster ones had already gotten to a few students. Between fighting them off and running away, they were slowly being exhausted. The only thing that would help is if reinforcements came.

"Hey look!" Someone shouted.

A fleet of drag-knights were coming.

"Thank god, reinforcements!"

"We're saved!"

But Lisha and the Triad were suspicious.

"...how did they know to come?" whispered Sharis.

"They couldn't have, none of us here knew who to send a drag-voice to," Tillfar added.

"Yes, something's wrong," Noct concluded.

"Greetings, pampered bitches of the New Kingdom!" the at the front, the leader, sneered.

The students froze.

"Awww, did you think we were allies? Here's a lesson: life's not that easy!" The man continued.

He had dark purple hair, bags under his eyes, and almost skeletal cheekbones, and was clad in a Wyrm's armour.

"Oh my apologies, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Velvett, leader of the Rebellion"

"...dear god,"

"I thought they were only rumors!"

"We're gonna die,"

"Not yet, we have to get at least the princess to safety,"

Fear broke out among the group, verging on all out panic. Some started hyperventilating.

"...all of you, go," Lisha said.

"What?" was the universal response.

"I'll distract them. They're probably only really aiming for me. The rest of you can escape,"

"But Princess!"

"We're not just gonna abandon you!"

"Yeah, that's hella wrong!"

"It's fine," she cut them off, "I can take care of myself. Besides, you guys are the future of the New Kingdom. I'm only one person. My Mother can birth another."

"But-"

"JUST GO! That's an order!" she roared. They had to leave NOW if they wanted any chance of surviving.

Teeth clenched, the students took off. The Triad left last, torn between staying and leaving, until Lisha gave them a harsh glare.

Anger and frustration burning, the three swore to be back, after making sure the others got away safely.

"HA! Abandoned by her own teammates! What a pathetic sight! Fitting thought, for a wore like you,"

"Are you going to keep rattling off your filthy mouth, or are you going to fight? You goddamned traitor"

Velvett gave her a seething glare.

"Watch your mouth bitch. It you grovel at my feet, I might just let you off with becoming a toy for my men, you know?"

"Fuck that,"

"I said watch your mouth, bitch,"

Velvett raised a horned flute to his mouth, and the same chilling sound emerged.

The Gargoyles, which for some reason, has hovered stationary, now lunged.

"Get her!"

Velvett's army, at his command, lunged as well.

* * *

"Quickly! We have to get help!"

"I know! I'm trying,"

The students were struggling along, most needing to be helped by another to even move anymore.

They were moving unbearably slowly, until they saw another machine dragon coming towards them.

"Shit! Is that another rebel!"

"All who can move, get ready for battle!" Sharis commanded, drawing her own greatsword.

They all tensed up for a fight, until they saw who was piloting.

"Is that…?"

"Lux-cchi!"

They made out a a mop of silver hair and a black criminal's collar.

"Thank god! Listen Lux, the princess is in danger! You have to fly back to the Academy and get-" Sharis started.

"No, that won't be needed,"

"?!"

They all froze, and a sudden thought ran through all their heads.

 _Is he with the Rebel Army?_

From what they had seen, he was strong. Strong enough that he could probably overpower them right now. And it wouldn't be much of a stretch if he, as a prince of the fallen Old Empire, was allied with the Rebel Army.

"You guys go back for help. I'm going to go to Lisha-sama. She needs whatever help she can get right now,"

Relief ran through the students.

"Alright," Sharis nodded, "Then you'd better hurry. The enemy force is pretty big though. Somehow, they've controlled the Abyss, and they've got quite a few drag-knights too. Focus on escaping with the princess"

"Alright,"

Lux took off with his Wyvern.

"Y'know, he seemed surprisingly pretty calm just then," Tillfar said.

"Yes, it's unexpected. Perhaps he's had previous experience before?" Noct suggested.

If only they knew.

* * *

Back with Lisha, she was struggling.

Her pilot suit was torn, and she was panting heavily.

She was at her limit, and there was still a sea of Gargoyles and drag-knights remaining.

"What a pathetic sight, Lizeshart," Velvett sneered, "This is why women can't be in court, mingling with state affairs, or on the battlefield. Their place is in the kitchen and in the bedroom. You were never a princess, and you never will be,"

"Big words there. For a puppet," Lisha said, smiling coldly at him.

"A puppet?!"

"You're obviously working under someone else's orders. You're not resourceful enough to have put this scheme together by yourself, guard of the Old Empire. You're the same as before, working for someone else with the hopes that they'll throw you a bone after you're done,"

"That's it," Velvett growled, his eyes burning with rage, "I'll kill you here, and throw your corpse into the royal castle when I invade the capital!"

He lunged forward towards the ground, where Lisha stood weakly.

 _I guess I failed in the end anyway, huh? At least the others got away safely. They'll figure something out, they won't get taken down by scum like him. I still wanted to talk to Lux, oh well. At least I know he'll protect the others._

She screwed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth, waiting for the blow.

Though it never came.

A gust of air blew by her, and a loud clang rang through the air.

Lux stood, clad in his Wyvern, and was parrying the blow from Velvett.

"You…!" Velvett cursed.

Lux paid him no mind, and quickly shoved him back. His eyes were burning with a cold anger, but otherwise his face was expressionless.

"You live a minute longer, Princess! I tire with your antics! Men, get them!"

With his verbal command, he also blew the horned flute. Soon, both drag-knights and Gargoyles were lunging towards them.

"Lux! Go, run! I'll be okay, but you have to leave! The others, they'll need you! You can't die here!" Lisha said frantically.

"...but you need me too, right? Don't worry, I'll protect you and them," he said quietly, before dispelling Wyvern.

"What are you doing?!"

 _Is this guy insane?! This is a terrible time for me to find out!_

"HA! It looks like your little friend has lost his mind! What an idiot!" Velvett laughed harshly.

"I'd like to show you something Lisha-sama," Lux murmured quietly.

"...what?"

"My other sword device,"

Lux sheathed Wyvern, and with smooth, practiced movements, he drew Bahamut.

It's ebony blade gleamed in the sun, and seemed to almost pulse.

Lux lifted the sword upright, one hand on the handle and the other on the back of the sword's blade. He started chanting with a strong voice.

"Manifest," he said, his silver eyes gleaming, "Feast on the blood and flesh of the gods, Dragon of Death. Sever the black clouds of heaven!"

As he ended, Lux swung Bahamut to his side, and was enveloped in a haze of swirling red light.

There was a moment of stillness as Bahamut settled over Lux's body.

 _What…?_ Lisha thought, _Am I hallucinating?_

*GRAAAAAAAAAAGH!*

A Gargoyle closed in on, but before it could land a hit, Lux made his move.

Before the Gargoyle knew what hit it, Lux lunged and swung a lethal blow at its chest.

For a moment, it was as if the Gargoyle didn't know it was hit. It hovered there almost confusingly, before exploding.

*BANG*

Lux hovered there, clad in jet black armour, with streaks of red light running along the machine's limbs and torso. He seemed to tower over everything else, his eyes nearly glowing.

"Bahamut, devour time and accelerate, Reload on Fire," Lux commanded.

Red magic circles manifested behind him, and he was off.

Like a hurricane on steroids, he cut down Gargoyles one by one. His form was shifting and agile, hard to keep track of.

"Get him!" Velvett yelled, "He's only one machine dragon! Swarm him and take him down!"

The drag-knights moved, but hesitantly. They weren't really keen on flying towards the guy that was cutting down Abysses like they were blades of grass.

"Lux…? No, a jet black machine dragon, you're, the Black Hero, aren't you?" Lisha breathed in amazement.

Unlike others, she fully believed in the existence of the Black Hero. After all, she'd caught a glimpse of him during the massacre. Right now though, she was trying to wrap her head around the idea that the downfall of the Old Empire was brought about by its own prince.

 _Why?_

* * *

"Airi, is that Lux-san?!"

Noct, on the request of Airi, had taken her to the battlefield. She was watching the seen from a safe distance, but she could still make out Lux's figure piloting Bahamut.

"Can you keep a secret, Noct?"

"Yes, I swear on the name and pride of the House of Leaflet to keep it a secret,"

"That is my brother. He is the Black Hero, the strongest drag-knight who wields the strongest machine dragon,"

"!"

Noct looked at Airi, who was sitting on the arm of her Drake.

"...why did he topple his own empire? And if he's so strong why is he known as the Weakest Undefeated?"

"Those aren't questions for me to answer. You should ask him directly if you want to know. All I can say is that Nii-san has a goal that he's constantly working towards,"

Noct looked back at the battlefield.

* * *

"Who the fuck is that guy?!"

"Shit, I can't get a good hit on him!"

The Rebel Army was worn down. Lux had quickly whittled down their numbers, and now, most were staying at a distance as he fought off the Gargoyles.

Velvett was cursing his luck when he realized something.

"You, you're the seventh prince Lux Arcadia aren't you?" he called out to Lux, who stayed silent as he continued fighting.

"My apologies for my impoliteness until now, honourable prince," Velvett said cordially with a small bow.

"But if you don't mind me asking, why are you fighting against us, the Rebel Army? Join us Prince. Together, we'll bring back the glorious Old Empire!" he finished flamboyantly, spreading his arms out.

Still Lux stayed silent.

"Do you think you'll be a hero, for what you're doing?" Velvett growled, his patience worn down, "Well newsflash kid, that's not how the world works, Chore Prince!"

"History is written by the winners, and the winners are always the strongest! The New Kingdom is fragile, it's weak! The Rebel army is strong though, and when we take back the country, you'll be nothing more than a goddamned traitor!"

Velvett was breathing roughly, veins standing out on his neck from the force of his rant.

Finally, Lux turned to look at him, and fixed his steely grey eyes on him.

"Quiet," was all he said. But his voice was not his usual friendly, awkward tone. It was commanding now, rough and unfeeling. Velvett reflexively backed up, before catching himself.

The Gargoyles were mostly gone now, and those that were left were growing hesitant. They recognized that he was stronger on a primal level, and were starting to back off.

"F-fine then! I'll gut you myself!"

With that, Velvett shot forwards.

 _This fucker doesn't know what'll hit him,_ Velvett thought to himself.

He had a trick up his sleeve: quick draw. It was a move where the pilot would see through the preparatory movements of the drag-ride, and would deal the fatal blow accordingly, during the brief period when the drag-ride was receiving the command from the pilot.

It was technique taught only to high-ranking individuals during the time of the Old Empire. It was devilishly hard to master, and Velvett was pretty sure that this technique was lost to the New Kingdom. He himself had finally mastered it after years of practice, and he was sure that his quick draw was unstoppable. It made him arrogant and strong.

 _This bastard's going down._

Soon enough, the Old Empire would be reinstated, and he could go back to drinking and sleeping with whichever woman he wanted whenever he wanted. He, as a man, had been oppressed enough by the New Kingdom!

He closed in, saw Lux's movements, and was about deal the killing blow, when he felt something.

Pain.

He felt it racing through his wrist, down to his shoulder. Lux had shattered his arm.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH" he screeched, dropping his greatsword.

"How the hell?! How did you trump my quick draw?!"

"You should really be more cautious of your opponents, Captain Velvett," Lux said calmly, as if he were talking about the weather.

"What the fuck does that mean?!"

"Do you know what my Divine Dress is?"

"...!"

"Reload on Fire slows down my movements for a few moments, then greatly accelerates them afterwards. Guess what that allowed me to do."

"You….!" Velvett cursed. He only had time to curse Lux to hell and back before Lux lunged forward and knocked him out.

"Lisha-sama, are you alright?" Lux asked.

He had flown down to where Lisha had been watching, eyes wide.

"...looks like there's more to you than reaches the eye, huh, Fallen Prince?" she joked with smile. Lux returned it with a somewhat awkward laugh.

"You could say that,"

"But in all honesty, why are you the Black Hero? Why would you destroy your own empire?"

"...because, it was vile and corrupt,"

Lisha looked at him to go on. It wasn't a very eloquent reasoning, after all.

"They left my mother to die, turned my only friend into a lab rat, and tried to send my little sister away to entertain the lords at the border. I couldn't let that stand. I guess it's selfish reasoning at the end, but..."

"...damn,"

"I believe though, it'll be different with you and your mother. I've seen what corrupt leaders are like, and I say with confidence that you're fundamentally different from them, in a good way. You're a fine princess, and you'll be a fine queen in the future,"

"...thanks, Lux. I needed that," Lisha said with a real smile, which Lux returned.

"Anyway, what was that guy talking about? What's quick draw, and how'd you know what it is?"

"U-um," Lux started nervously, before he started feeling light-headed.

"I don't feel so good," he managed to say, before Bahamut dispelled and he fainted.

"Hey, Lux!"

Saved by collapsing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: I don't own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut, I'm only writing this for fun.**

* * *

 _Ow!...I've really got to have stop waking up in the infirmary._

Lux woke up with a blinding headache and aching everything, He tried to sit up. Keyword being tried.

"OW!"

"Nii-san, are you alright?!"

Airi had just walked in with a basin of water and a cloth.

"You shouldn't try to get up yet! The nurse said you overworked yourself and may have migraines if you moved too suddenly!"

"G-good to know, Airi," he said, clutching his head with a bandaged hand.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine"

"You're covered in bandages, and didn't you just yell 'ow'?"

"W-well…"

"If you're going to lie, Nii-san, you should at least do a good job of it,"

"S-sorry,"

They sat in silence for a while, before Airi started talking again.

"Nii-san, what were you thinking?! I understand that you were trying to help but...why did you push yourself so hard?! You could've just taken the princess and ran! What if you don't wake up next time?!"

She continued to yell at him for some time, tears burning in her eyes, before she finally stopped and looked at him for an answer.

"...sorry, I worried you. But I did what I needed to do. I couldn't just leave Lisha-sama out there, and if we had tried to escape, they would've followed us back to Cross Field"

"...I know," she whispered, settling down, "I know,"

Silence, before Airi broke it once again.

'By the way," she started, "How did you know that something was going to go wrong anyway?"

 _Crap. What's a good excuse?!_

"U-um, I just did! Hey how's everyone else doing? Are they safe?"

Real smooth Lux, real smooth.

Airi dropped the subject though, albeit a bit angrily. She puffed out her cheeks before responding.

"I don't know. Maybe you should see for yourself," she said coldly, "Hey everyone! My brother's up now! You can talk with them instead, Nii-san. I'm leaving"

And with that the doors to the infirmary swung open and the members of Syvalles streamed in.

"Hey, hey Lux-cchi! How're ya doing? We brought gifts!"

"Lux-san are you alright?"

"You seem great for someone who just woke up from a three-day nap!"

"Lu-chan, do you want an orange?"

As he started talking to his classmates, Krulcifer leaned in and whispered softly:

"For someone so strong, you have quite a few openings huh, 'Black Hero'?"

Lux felt himself shiver and blush a little from her teasing tone.

"U-um,"

"Hey Krulcifer! What are you saying to Lux?!" Lisha yelled angrily, and then everyone dissolved into laughter and started talking boisterously.

 _Just like old times,_ Lux thought fondly as he took in the familiar atmosphere. Now, if only he wasn't hurting everywhere.

* * *

Lux was able to leave the infirmary after a few days of rest, and soon he was back in class.

It seemed like his classmates and teachers had all accepted him at this point, and he'd started to talk to them much more casually.

The only problem was the matter about his sleeping arrangements

"Relie-san, couldn't I just sleep on a sofa until a room opens up?" Lux pleaded inside the headmistress's office

"Now, now Lux, it wouldn't do for a student of the academy to sleep on couches, now would it?" she responded pleasantly, "And besides, I'm sure Phi would be happy to share her room with you!"

"But-"

"And remember Lux, if you keep sleeping on sofas, I'll just have to have Phi drag you into her room, okay?" she said while smiling.

 _How on Earth is that okay?! Something's wrong in that sentence there._

"Oh, and by the way Lux, I have a letter for you,"

"A letter?"

"Yes, but don't open it until it's 4 o'clock, okay?"

"Ah, understood,"

As Lux walked out, he started to get a bad feeling.

 _Relie-san still hasn't announced the…'Lux Contest' yet, where I was chased by the students for the chance for one of them, to, to have me exclusively doing chores for them for a week. Makes sense though, since she announced it last time during my rehabilitation party, but I'd asked them not to make a big deal out of it. I wonder if she's still going to-_

 _Wait._

Lux looked at the suspicious letter that Relie had just handed to him. His mind slowly connected the dots.

 _It couldn't be…_

He looked at his pocket watch. 4 o'clock now, he could read the letter. He wasn't sure if he wanted to anymore, but he did anyway.

Letters were printed on bright red paper, with the title 'Lux Contest' written boldly on top.

 _Oh crap._

His thought was followed by a stampede of footsteps and cries of 'find him!'. Lux promptly turned tail and ran.

 _Not again?!_

After a few close calls with Lisha-sama, Phi-chan, and a disturbing encounter with the Triad involving a bear trap and chains, Lux was exhausted.

He was alone in the Academy building now, and outside the search was still going on. He wanted to give the request form to Krulcifer. How he was going to do that though was still a mystery. He really didn't want to get caught supposedly peeping on her changing clothes. That had been embarrassing enough the first time.

 _I can't very well just give it to her, could I? It'd be suspicious, but that's better than letting her deal with her engagement by herself._

Lux was so deep in thought though, that he didn't notice the swarm of students who had caught up to him.

"There he is!"

"Grab him!"

"GAH!"

Lux, startled out of his internal monologue, looked both ways, and found that he was surrounded by students on both sides, essentially trapped.

 _Can't let them get to me. Think! What do I do?_

Out of desperation, he looked at the window, and got a great (terrible) idea.

 _I'll jump out the window!_

Quickly, he opened the second-storey window and jumped out.

"What are you doing?!"

"Watch out!"

"Isn't that dangerous?!"

"Somebody go down and see if he's alright!"

Back with Lux, he thought he was safe after he jumped down, until he saw a group of students in pilot suits rounding the corner and walking right underneath him.

"LOOK OUT!" he tried to warn, but he was too late.

He crashed into one of them, and took her a groan of pain, he realized that he had landed on top of her, his legs on either side of he body. Her being Krulcifer.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" he yelped, scrambling off of her and bowing his head.

 _Great way to introduce yourself to your future teammate and friend,_ he cursed in his head.

"...Lux-kun?" she said, more than a little bewildered.

 _Did he just...jump out of the second-storey window?_

"...Lux," Sharis said, eyes wide in disbelief, "Was that...did you just JUMP out of the window?!"

"...m-maybe?"

"Lux-cchi, are you feeling alright? You shouldn't treat your life like this, you're still too young to die!"

"Yes, although Airi doesn't show it, she'll be very upset if you took your own life,"

"I WASN'T TRYING TO COMMITING SUICIDE!" Lux cried, feeling his face redden like a tomato.

"A-anyway, sorry about that Krulcifer-san. Are you alright? I, I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked worriedly, reaching out his hand and pulling her up. She didn't seem hurt, but he wanted to make sure anyway.

"I'm fine, though I didn't expect that you'd be living up to your reputation as a pervert by pushing me down," she said with an innocent smile.

"T-that's not what happened! I swear! I jumped out the window without knowing that anyone was down there!"

"Why did you even jump out the window in the first place?" Tillfar whispered.

Suddenly, Krulcifer caught sight of something on the ground. Something red. She smiled mischievviously, before bending down and picking it up.

"TIME'S UP!" someone suddenly yelled, ringing a loud bell, "WHOEVER HOLDS THE RED REQUEST FORM NOW HAS PRIORITY OVER LUX-SAN FOR THE NEXT WEEK!"

Krulcifer looked at what she now held in her hand, and smiled gently at Lux.

"I guess that's me, isn't it?" she said.

"U-um, I guess, yeah!" Lux responded.

 _Well, that fixes that, I guess._

"Aaaaaawww! I was hoping to have Lux-cchi do chores for us!" Tillfar whined without any frustration.

Sharis chuckled at her reaction.

"Better luck next time, Tillfar!"

"Yes, I'm sure the Headmistress will have other events planned," Noct added with a light smile.

 _Please no,_ thought Lux despairingly.

"I don't understand what all the fuss is about. What's so good about having a male like him running errands for you anyway?" a girl said coldly.

Lux turned towards the voice, and froze. It was Saniya, the traitor from Heidburg Republic. He'd foolishly forgotten about her, but there she stood, in her pilot suit and glaring mildly at him. He tensed up, his eyes hardening and glittering the slightest bit, and drew himself up to his full height. He'd had a bad habit of slouching unless the situation was serious.

"...Lux-san?" Noct called out, a slight but of worry in her voice "Is something wrong?"

Lux forced himself to relax.

"No," he said, giving her a small smile," I just thought of something bad, that's all. Nothing to worry about!"

 _Not yet at least._

"Are you sure Lux-kun?" Krulcifer asked, her smile gone, "You tensed up pretty badly for a second,"

"Ah yes, I'm totally fine. Oh, and since I'll be doing chores for you for the next week, do you want to write down a list of things you'd like me to do, or would you like to discuss it later?"

"...I think I'd rather talk to you about it at a later point, if you don't mind."

"I'm fine with that,"

"Then I'll meet you on the roof after dinner, Lux-kun,"

"Yes, I'll see you there,"

"Hey hold on," Saniya cut in, "Are you sure it's safe to be left alone with this guy? You don't know if he can be trusted, what with his previous incident in the baths…"

"I think I'll be fine, Saniya-senpai," Krulcifer responded smoothly.

"Yeah, don't worry Saniya! Lux here won't do anything unwanted! Right Lux?" Sharis asked good naturedly, slinging an arm around Saniya's neck.

"Of course not," was Lux's monotone reply.

"Lux-cchi, are you sure you're alright? You're acting kind of weirdly," Tillfar asked in concern, stepping closer to him, "Did you hurt yourself in the fall?"

"No, I'm fine really, just...I remembered something unpleasant,"

"...If you say so," Tillfar responded, but Lux could tell that she didn't really believe him.

"Anyway, I've got to get going. I'll see you all later."

After a chorus of byes, Lux left, but not before Saniya caught his eye and glared once more at him. Lux only looked back indifferently.

* * *

All throughout dinner, he was grilled by Lisha about what had happened, and while Philuffy didn't really talk, he could tell that she was curious too. It's not everyday your childhood friend became the prize of a contest among young noble girls and threw himself out the window after all.

Lisha definitely wasn't happy with Krulcifer gaining priority for a week, but she couldn't do much about it. She brightened up though when Lux promised to visit her in the hangar throughout the week..

After finishing his meal, Lux left to go up the roof, where he found Krulcifer waiting for him.

"Hello Krulcifer-san! Were you waiting long?"

"No, I just got here," she responded, turning to look at him with a smile in greeting.

"Now then, let's get down to business. For the next week, I want you to act as my boyfriend,"

At her words, Lux felt himself blushing, his heart starting to pound.

Of course, he already knew what she was going to ask, but the words still affected him. She was a close friend and quite a beauty after all.

"U-um, can I ask why?" he stuttered, once again feigning surprise.

"Before transfering here, I was told to find a high-ranking nobleman to get married to. I want to avoid that for as long as possible, but my family's butler is coming in a few days to check up on my progress," she explained.

"I see, and you need me to fool her right?"

"Exactly. For someone with such a boyish face, you catch on pretty quickly," she teased with a smile.

"P-please don't tease me like that!" Lux complained, blushing, "I'm 17, the same age as you y'know?"

"I'm sorry," she chuckled, "It's just so easy to tease you,"

Lux groaned, but without any real frustration. He'd long gotten used to her teasing, and even started to find them amusing. Only a little though. It was still incredibly embarrassing for him at times.

"...You know, you're quite a complex person,"

"Am I?"

"You seem so friendly, and maybe even a little weak-willed. But you can be surprisingly...dominant when you want to be,"

"Really?" Lux said, tilting his head.

"...when you saw Saniya for the first time, your...change in demeanor was astounding. It was like you were a different person. I wasn't the only one who noticed ether. The Triad were obviously concerned for you, and Saniya was acting a little off after you left"

"O-oh, well, I, uh, had a lot on my mind,"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Lux-kun," she said, smiling teasingly at him.

"T-thanks, Krulcifer-san" Lux responded with a small smile.

"On a side note though, how did you know my butler was a woman? You said 'her' even though I hadn't mentioned her gender,"

"J-just a lucky guess!"

* * *

 _Alright Lux, you can do this._

He was standing in front of a door, mentally preparing himself to go inside. Taking a deep breath, Lux knocked on the door.

"H-hey, Phi-chan? It's Lux. Can I come in?"

"Ah, Lu-chan, go ahead,"

He opened the door and closed it behind him. When he turned to look at Philuffy, his breath caught in his throat.

"P-phi-chan, don't you have something less...revealing you can wear?" Lux asked, averting his gaze.

Philuffy was sitting on the bottom bunk of the bunk beds, wearing the same nightclothes that he remembered: a thin, black, lacey thing, that ended high at the thighs.

"Onee-chan told me to wear this,"

 _Of course._

"Um, but if we're, if we're going to be roomates, it'd be nice if you wore something a little more... covering," Lux said, trying to urge her to wear something else.

"But I like it though,"

 _There she goes, off on her own pace again._

Lux usually found that aspect of her charming and endearing in a way, but in this scenario...well, let's just say it wasn't as easy on his mind.

 _It's going to be a long couple of weeks until a room frees up,_ he lamented in his head.

"By the way Lu-chan, I heard that you're going to be doing chores for Krulcifer for the next week," she spoke from her spot on the bottom bunk.

"Ah yes, that's right,"

"...if she makes you do anything you don't want to do, let me know okay?" she said softly, with her same expressionless face. Though Lux could still tell that she really was genuinely worried about him, however unfeeling she may seem on the outside. He felt himself finally relaxing.

"Thank you Phi-chan," he said warmly, "But you don't need to worry. I have a feeling that Krulcifer-san can be trusted. Anyways, it's getting late. We should get to bed, we have classes in the morning,"

Philuffy nodded and made a sound of agreement, before crawling underneath her covers and falling asleep.

* * *

"Haaaaaa," Lux groaned, setting his head on the table in the mess hall.

His day had started out okay. He woke up, did his morning chores and workout, joined by the Triad, before heading off to breakfast. It was there that things had gotten complicated.

Krulcifer had sat down next to him during breakfast, and greeted him as her boyfriend. That didn't go over too calmly.

Lisha had immediately yelled out 'HER BOYFRIEND?!' and next thing he knew the entire student population, and staff probably, thought that he and Krulcifer were dating. He could still here the questions and gossip ringing in his ears. Lisha was not happy, and Lux thought that Philuffy looked miffed too.

During class, he felt eyes staring at him, and couldn't concentrate or calm down, and was tense all the way until lunch.

Now he sat at a table with Krulcifer across from him, calmly eating her meal.

"Lux-kun are you alright?" she asked him.

"I'm fine," he said, head still on the table, "Just a little worn out,"

"Then how about we go on a date after classes are done? It might help you relax a little,"

Lux winced as that set off another round of squeals and whispers. But the idea of going into town did sound nice to him.

"Sure," he said, raising his head from the table and offering Krulcifer a tired smile, "That sounds great."

* * *

They met after class by the school gates.

Lux was dressed in his usual handyman's outfit again, with his white undershirt and brown overcoat and pants. Krulcifer was dressed in a simple white dress and blue pants. As they walked towards the town center, Krulcifer had insisted on holding his arm, which made Lux blush a bit, but he didn't mind much. It had been a long time since he had last talked freely with Krulcifer, not about duties or anything, but just as friends. He had missed her.

"Why don't we got shop around for a bit, and then get a bite to eat?" Krulcifer asked.

"Sure, that sounds good,"

As they entered a high-class clothing shop for nobles, Lux suddenly remembered something.

"Um, Krulcifer-san? We're just looking at clothes for you, right?" he asked as she browsed through the shelves.

"Actually, I was thinking of getting you something to wear,"

"N-no no! You don't need to! I don't need any formal clothes, and this place is expensive!"

"It's fine, I'll pay for it. The prices here aren't that bad. And besides, I think you'd look good in formal wear."

"But I'm saying that you don't have to!"

They went back and forth for a bit, until they reached a compromise. Krulcifer would buy him something to wear, but it would be something less expensive, and he'd pay her back when he had the money.

 _I really don't like having her spend so much money on me._

During his time as the citizen's handyman, Lux was quite poor. Most of the money he made went to the massive debt that was given to him and Airi in exchange for amnesty, since they were survivors of the previous empire, and thus essentially criminals.

He never had much to eat unless an employer gave him food, and he rarely got new clothes, nevermind expensive ones. More than once he's slept in stables or out on a bench on the streets.

He felt guilty, almost dirty, for having Krulcifer waste so much money on him, even if she did have funds to spare, and so he promised to pay her back.

They'd decided on a simple white dress shirt, a black tie, a grey vest, and a pair of matching grey pants.

After the workers measured him and gave them a date to pick the finished clothes up, they left the shop, and Lux let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Haaaaahh…"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's just that I don't feel comfortable in those kinds of places," he said.

The workers had all acted courteous and helpful, but they were almost...too nice. Lux wasn't used to essentially having a servant attending to his needs. It made him feel awkward, tense.

"I agree. Establishments like that really makes one hate those who are called nobles,"

"Huh?"

"It's nothing," she said with a smile, "You looked nice in the clothes we picked out. Fitting for a former prince I guess,"

"I don't know about that," Lux laughed shyly.

They chatted for a while as they walked through the streets. The sun was setting now, bathing everything in an orange light. Peaceful, by all means, but Lux kept his guard up.

 _The bandits should be arriving soon._

And just as he thought, Lux heard the charging sound of a canon, and leapt into action.

"Look out!" he called to Krulcifer, and pushed her down. Where they once were, a ball of energy from a Wyvern had struck, scorching the ground. Lux rose to a kneeling position and unsheathed Wyvern, but didn't activate it. Krulcifer stayed had similarly crouched down next to him.

"Don't move!" yelled a bandit, appearing from an alleyway. 2 more soon joined him. "Move, and my buddies'll shoot you dead!"

As bandit kept yelling threats, Krulcifer leaned towards him and whispered.

"Can you distract the 3 in front us? I want to summon my drag-ride,"

"Understood,"

"Hey! Did I fucking say you could talk?! Put your hands where I can see them and-"

He never got a chance to finish his sentence as Lux lunged forward and swept his legs from out under him with a kick. With another blow to the bandit's head he was out. The other 2 bandits were soon on him, but Lux handled them calmly, parrying and dodging their swords.

Meanwhile, Krulcifer had activated her drag-ride, and was enveloped in a sea of blue light, before she took off into the air, clad in the elegant armour of her Fafnir.

"Wise Blood," she chanted, blue magic circles manifesting in both her irises.

Soon, 3 Wyverns and their pilots were shot down and immobilized.

 _Wise Blood: the power of future prediction,_ Lux admired, _She's still as impressive as ever._

For him, only one bandit remained conscious.

"Fuck this shit! I'm outta here," and with that he turned tail and ran away. Though he didn't get very far before Lux caught up to him.

Ramming into him, Lux forced the bandit on the ground, and in a matter of moments, had dug his knee into the man's back to keep him in place, and had twisted the man's wrist, forcing him to let go of his sword device.

"Ow! Fuck! Let go of me, you filthy son of a bitch!" he snarled.

"Do you really think I'd let you go?"

"Fuck off!"

"I have some questions first. Who sent you?" he asked quietly.

"Your goddamn momma did! NOW GET THE FUCK OFF!"

"Who. Sent. You?"

The bandit flinched at the coldness in Lux's voice and felt himself trembling. Lux tightened his grip on the bandits arm.

"While that was impressive young man, you should probably just knock him out and hand him over to the guards. Scum like him aren't worth talking to," a voice said.

Lux looked up and saw Alterize, standing as prim and proper as ever in her butler's uniform, her short indigo hair brushed smooth and neat.

"It's been a long time, Alterize," Krulcifer said, having finished rounding up the unconscious Wyvern pilots. She landed her Fafnir between Lux and Alterize, before dispelling it.

"Are you alright, Krulcifer-san?" Lux asked worriedly, his voice back to its normal tone.

"Yes I'm fine. Someone like a bandit doesn't pose much of a challenge,"

"Ojou-sama, do you know this young man?" Alterize asked, eyes narrowing at Lux.

"Yes, he's my boyfriend. Isn't he cute?"

"I'm sorry, what?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: I don't own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut, I'm only writing this for fun.**

 **I wasn't too happy with this chapter. Hopefully the next one is better.**

* * *

"What are you two doing here again?" Krulcifer asked with a sigh. Her, Lux, Alterize, Lisha, and Philuffy were all sitting in a cozy cafe. She was asking the latter two, who had both coincidentally showed up right after Alterize appeared. They had been dressed in ridiculous outfits, trying to blend into the crowd.

 _Come to think of it, why were they tailing us anyways?_

Lux hadn't thought much of it before, but now that he really questioned it, it was more than a bit strange.

"N-nothing! We were just hanging out!" Lisha asserted.

"Nevermind," Krulcifer answered, before turning towards Alterize.

"Why are you here so early? You weren't supposed to be in Cross Field for another few days,"

"Well, about the matter of your engagement…"

"Yes, as you can see, I have boyfriend," Krulcifer said, gesturing to Lux, who was sitting next to her.

Lux was currently preparing himself for the dreaded appearance of the reason why Alterize was here, and someone who would try to exploit Krulcifer-san, his close friend. Needless to say, he was not looking forward to it.

"...Isn't he the Chore Prince? From the time of the Old Empire" Alterize asked sharply, staring at Lux.

"Yes, and now he's my classmate and boyfriend. Is there a problem with that?" Krulcifer asked pleasantly.

"Well, you see Ojou-sama…" Alterize trailed off hesitantly.

 _Here it comes,_ Lux thought

"Did you not notify her of her engagement, Alterize-dono?" a smooth, haughty voice asked.

"! Lord Balzeride! Why are you here?! The meeting isn't until tomorrow!" Alterized said in surprise, rising from her seat to bow at him.

"Ah yes, but I just couldn't wait to meet my future wife! Surely, it doesn't matter that much if I see my future wife a day early. Am I right, Alterize-dono?"

"...it's as you say, Lord Balzeride,"

"Alterize, what is the meaning of this?" Krulcifer asked quietly, yet intensely.

"Your parents were worried that you would neglect finding a marriage partner, and Lord Balzeride suddenly came forward with a proposal and…"

"Why wasn't I, the other party of this engagement, given any choice in the matter?"

"We were afraid that you'd make an excuse and avoid the engagement altogether,"

"And so you forced me into one?" Krulcifer said coldly.

"No, Ojou-sama, that was not our intention-"

"I tire of this talk, Alterize-dono!" Balzeride declared loudly, before kneeling down in front of Krulcifer and taking one of her hands. During this time, Lisha was watching with astonishment. Philuffy looked like she wasn't paying attention, eating her donuts, but Lux could tell that she was listening attentively. Lux himself was staying deathly still, observing the situation. The way Balzeride talked to his friends utterly repulsed him. He dug his nails into the palm of his hand in irritation.

 _It's not time yet. Talking now might make things worse. After all he hasn't said anything explicitly…'wrong' yet._

"My future wife," Balzeride said with a confidant smile, "Surely, it won't be that bad to be my wife? My house, the House of Kreutzer, is one of the Four Great Nobles of the New Kingdom!"

"Please don't refer to me as your 'wife' or 'future wife'," Krulcifer shot back, shaking off Balzeride's hand and glaring at him, "After all, I have no intention of being married to you,"

Balzeride's smile fell, and a look of anger flashed through his regal face before it disappeared under a cold smile.

"Looks like my future wife has quite a sharp tongue," he said as he stood up, "That's fine, I'll deal with that later," Lux clenched his fist tighter, almost drawing blood.

"But truly," he continued, looking Krulcifer's body up and down with a unpleasant smile, "You are a beauty. Your body's a little underdeveloped, but that'll fix itself as you mature,"

Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her chin, much to the surprise of everyone present. Krulcifer steeled herself, and scowled at Balzeride, who only look back mockingly.

"Lord Balzeride!" Alterize said in a panic, "Please remember to act respectfully!"

"I am. I am merely admiring my future wife's face! That is my right as her husband-to-"

"Let go of her," Lux said, his voice deathly soft.

At this point, the atmosphere had gotten rather tense, and the other customers at the cafe had long since left. The workers lingered back, afraid. They didn't want a fight breaking out, but couldn't intervene for fear of angering a noble.

Lux, from his place at Krulcifer left, had suddenly seized Balzeride's wrist, forcing him to let go of her face.

"...and who are you to give me orders, to peasant? Who are you to **dare** to lay a hand on me?" Balzeride growled, turning to fix a furious glare on Lux, "Can't you see nobles talking here? Get lost, before I forget to be nice,"

"I think you forgot that a long, long time ago," Lux responded, still not releasing Balzeride's wrist.

"You!" he snarled, and raised his other arm as if to strike Lux.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing to Lux?!" Lisha cried out in alarm, jumping out from her seat in anger.

"...don't bother Lu-chan," Philuffy said, turning away from her food, her face as expressionless as ever.

"...Lux? Oh I see now! I hadn't really paid much attention to you, but now I recognize you! You're Lux Arcadia, the seventh prince of the Old Empire, the 'Chore Prince'," Balzeride said condescendingly.

"You're not even a peasant. You're a foul criminal, and still you dare to lay a hand on me?! I'll have you flogged for this!"

"Lord Balzeride!" Alterize pleaded, "Please control yourself!"

"Quiet Alterize-dono! This criminal dares to lay his hand on one of the Four Great Nobles! And for that he will pay!"

"Lord Balzeride," Krulcifer cut in with a frigid smile, "It would be wise if you were to take your arm back before you make anymore threats,"

"!"

Balzeride's face grew flushed from embarrassment, realizing that Lux still had his wrist. He tried to free himself. But he wasn't nearly as strong as Lux, who trained often and rigorously. He tugged his arm back, but Lux's grip was unyielding. In the back, the workers snickered quietly behind their hands.

"Let. Go." Balzeride growled dangerously. Lux didn't answer, and only tightened his grip.

"Lux-kun," Krulcifer said calmly, "You should let go of him now,"

Suddenly Balzeride's was released, and he staggered back a few steps, rubbing his wrist.

"My future wife," he asked with his rage barely confined in a smile, "Do you happen to be familiar with this piece of trash?"

"Don't refer to him as trash, Lord Balzeride. And yes, I am familiar with him. He's my boyfriend,"

"Your boyfriend?!" he laughed, "Is he the reason you're so opposed to our marriage? Very well then, let's solve the problem right away."

Balzeride turned to face Lux, who was still sitting on his chair, looking at him coldly.

"I, Balzeride Keutzer, challenge you, Lux Arcadia, to a duel 3 days from now, for the right to marry Krulcifer Einfolk!"

"..." Lux frowned and turned to look at Krulcifer.

He would definitely fight for his friend's sake, that went without saying. But the way Balzeride had phrased the challenge…

"I don't enjoy sitting aside while my future's being decided," Krulcifer said, glaring at Balzeride, "I'm not a trophy to be won,"

"Well, then what would you suggest, my future wife?"

"A tag battle. Me and Lux-kun versus you and Alterize,"

"Ojou-sama! That is not acceptable-"

"Fine, I accept,"

"Lord Balzeride!" Alterize said in surprise.

"This was partly your fault Alterize-dono, for failing to notify my future wife in time. Your participation in the duel will be nice compensation for your shortcoming," Balzeride said curtly, "Now, Fallen Prince, do you accept the duel?"

"I accept,"

"Splendid! I'll take my leave then. I need to begin preparations for a battleground,"

With that, Balzeride turned with his cape sweeping behind him, and left the cafe. There was a moment of silence.

"...Well that turned out great!" Lisha said dryly.

"Ojou-sama, what were you thinking?!" Alterize admonished, turning to look at Krulcifer, "Lord Balzeride is a powerful divine drag-ride user, and I myself am an EX class drag-knight!"

 **(note: the ranks of drag-knights goes from low, middle, high, EX, and divine I think. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong)**

"That won't be a problem. I also use a divine drag-ride, and Lux-kun is a strong drag-knight as well,"

Alterize shifted her gaze to Lux and frowned.

"Boy, are you by some chance an EX class drag-knight?"

"No I'm not," he responded, shaking his head.

"Then I don't see how you hope to win, Ojou-sama! I won't be holding back in the duel, and neither will Lord Balzeride!"

"We'll be fine" Krulcifer said curtly, "Lux is known as the Weakest Undefeated in tournaments. He can take care of himself,

"And Lord Balzeride is known as the Conqueror of Kingdoms. I would think that there is a clear difference in strength there, Ojou-sama," Alterize responded bluntly.

"A word of advice, butler," Lisha interrupted with a cold stare, "It wouldn't be wise to underestimate Lux,"

"Lu-chan's strong," Philuffy added in.

Alterize groaned and rubbed her eyes, before sitting down. Then she abruptly perked up and turned towards Lux.

"Did she just call you Lu-chan?" she asked.

Lux responded by slamming his head on the table, his face as red as a tomato. Lisha responding by laughing boisterously at him, but not unkindly, while Alterize and Philuffy only looked on confusingly.

Krulcifer chuckled lightly, feeling herself finally relax.

* * *

"Lu-chan, are you alright?"

They were back at the Academy now. Philuffy was once again sitting on her bed, looking at Lux.

"...yeah, just tired," Lux answered with a small smile. The meeting with Balzeride had worn him down, frustrated him, made him feel useless.

"You shouldn't lie Lu-chan" she said expressionlessly.

"S-sorry," Lux winced.

"...Are you bothered by the duel?" she asked.

Lux responded by tilting his head in question.

"If you don't want to fight, I'll fight for you,"

"Phi-chan!" Lux exclaimed softly, since it was late, "No! I can't ask that of you!"

"I don't mind though. I'm strong, and I know you're too kind to let Krulcifer fight by herself,"

"...thank you," Lux murmured softly, giving her a genuine smile, "But it's okay. I want to fight in this battle,"

"Then good luck, Lu-chan," Philuffy said with a small, kind smile. It was only when she was alone with him or her sister that she ever showed emotions like this. It warmed Lux's heart to know that she trusted him so much.

"Thank you, Phi-chan," Lux repeated, still smiling, as he touched her shoulder gently in appreciation.

Lux was dreaming a nightmare.

He was drowning, sinking. He couldn't breath, but was somehow alive, he couldn't see, but somehow knew that he was drowning in quicksand. He tried to claw his way through, but his hands hit glass.

Panic crept up on him. He was being pulled down something, he knew somehow, a small hole at the bottom. He tried to gasp, tried to scream, but no sound came out. Suddenly his arms no longer moved, it was like they'd turned to lead.

He woke up in cold sweat.

"Lux-cchi, is everything alright?"

It was the next morning, and he and the Triad were once again at the training grounds. They were taking a short water when Tillfar had asked him that.

"You seem kinda out of it today," she noted worriedly.

All during practice, his movements had been rough, lacking their normal grace and fluidity. The matter about Balzeride, the upcoming Ruins investigation, and his nightmare had been eating away at his mind.

"Ah...no, I'm fine," Lux answered unconvincingly.

 _I'm tired. Tired of lying, to her, to the rest of the Triad, to the rest of my friends._

The Triad collectively shared a look, before Noct started talking.

"Lux-san," she started, with a slight frown, "We can tell you're lying. You're not fine, and that's okay. You are strong, but that shouldn't stop you from relying on us,"

"I-I know," Lux managed, averting his gaze, "It's just…"

"Lux," Sharis cut in, a look of concern and protectiveness in her eyes, "Is someone bothering you? If you're uncomfortable with dealing with them, let us know who they are, and we, the Triad, will deal with them in your stead,"

"Yep yep! That's what a disciplinary squad's for anyways!" Tillfar added cheerfully.

"Yes. We are friends, Lux-san. We'll gladly help you," Noct agreed with an encouraging smile.

Lux at once felt an overwhelming urge of telling them everything. About Bahamut (Noct was the only one among the Triad who knew), about his time-travelling, about his thoughts. But he knew it was still too early. It might surprise them too much. They didn't trust him enough yet. And if Lux was honest, he was afraid of telling them. How would their relationship changed, if they knew all he was keeping from them? He didn't want to find out.

"One...one of my friends is in a tough spot," Lux finally managed to say, his heart pounding, "And, it's not my place to tell anyone else about it. Not without her permission anyway,"

Sharis narrowed her eyes a bit.

"You're not being coerced into doing anything by this 'friend' are you?" she asked.

"No! God no!" Lux exclaimed in surprise, "I care very much about her, and she means no harm to me. It's...a third party I'm worried about,"

"Can we do nothing at all to help, Lux-san?" Noct asked with a slight frown.

"...You've all done more than enough," he said quietly, "Your concern means more than you know,"

"Concern alone won't do much," Noct responded, "Not without actions,"

"...well...if you guys would allow it," Lux began tentatively, "I'd like to, show you all something. Noct already knows about, but not the details,"

Noct tensed at that, her eyes widening the slightest bit.

 _He's talking about Bahamut._

After she found out about his being the Black Hero, she'd just kept quiet. She knew that Airi had likely told her brother that she knew, but she assumed she and Lux just keep it as an unspoken secret between the two of them. It was a lot of trust he'd just placed in her, in them.

"Yes of course! Tillfar? Noct?" Sharis asked, looking at her two best friends.

"I'll be happy to see what you've got to show us!" Tillfar answered with a bright smile.

"Yes," was all Noct said.

She knew Tillfar and Sharis were probably curious, but they wouldn't ask. Out of respect for Lux, and trust in Noct.

 _They're truly good friends,_ Noct thought fondly.

"Would it be alright if I showed you after the information meeting about the Ruins investigation? Out by that concealed clearing in the forest? The one with the old oak tree stump?"

"Sounds good!" Tillfar chirped, "Now, enough with the sad stuff! We'd better get back to training! Breakfast will be ready soon, and I think I've almost gotten the hang of quick draw!"

* * *

"I'm sure you all know why you're here," Relie began, without a trace of her usual playfulness.

She was talking to the members of Syvalles, including Lux, who wasn't technically a member yet.

They were all in a s small, underground room, lit by only a few candles and torches.

"During the ambush by the Rebel Army, their leader, Ex-Captain Velvett, was seemingly using a horned flute to control the Abyss." Relie said, bringing out and opening a simple silver box to reveal the flute. A ripple of apprehension went through the students.

"The Queen has asked us to bring the flute with us during our upcoming investigation of the sixth ruins, Garden," she explained, "In hopes of unlocking the doors to the deeper levels,"

Next, Raigree started speaking from her place besides Relie.

"The Queen has also ordered that cadet Lux Arcadia be given the flute for safekeeping, and that he be allowed to accompany us on the investigation," she said, taking the box and handing it over to Lux.

"What? Why would the fallen prince be given such an important thing?"

"...can he be trusted with that?"

Raigree silenced the students with a harsh glare.

"It is per the Queen's order," she reminded, and the students stopped talking, a little embarrassed.

It should be noted here that the Queen knows of Lux being the Black Hero. She knows that he'll be able to keep in safe and out of enemy hands. His participation in the investigation would also ensure that the other students would be safe. She knows of all people how strong he is, to have taken down more than 1,200 of the Old Empire's drag-knights during the rebellion. He was 12 at the time.

Lux accepted the box with a bow, and Relie and Raigree went on to explain the rest of the investigation.

* * *

"So what'd you want to show us, Lux-cchi?" Tillfar asked.

She and Sharis and Noct were at the clearing, still in their uniforms and looking at Lux expectantly. Noct though, seemed a little more tense, since she knew what he was about to do.

"Um, have you guys ever wondered about my other sword device?" he began tentatively.

"You mean the one hanging behind your Wyvern right?" Sharis asked, motioning to the two swords hanging at his waist, "I'd just assumed that it was a back-up Wyvern with a customized sheath and hilt. Is that not what it is?"

"Um, ah, well no not really,"

"Then what is it? You can tell us. It can't be anything bad, since Noct already knows," Sharis pressed.

"Uhm, well, it's not really 'bad' per say…"

"Mou, just say it already! The suspense is killing me!" Tillfar whined good naturedly.

"...I think I'll show you instead," was Lux's response.

He took a few steps back to give himself some space, and took a deep, shuddering breath.

He put his hand on the hilt of Bahamut, and drew it.

"Manifest. Feast on the blood of the gods, Dragon of Death. Sever the black clouds of heaven!" Lux chanted softly.

Sharis and Tillfar's jaw dropped in unison.

Before them, Lux was cladd in the looming black armour of Bahamut, his eyes seemingly alight. He was looking at them worriedly. The wind seemed to pick up, and the red lines running through Bahamut's body seemed to gleam menacingly.

 _That's...the Black Hero?_ Tillfar and Sharis thought.

Reflexively, their hands went to the hilt of their own sword devices, and they took a fighting stance. They knew the stories regaling the Black Hero's strength, and seeing him in front of them, strong and oppressive, only served to cement their thought.

 _He's dangerous._

"Tillfar! Sharis!" Noct exclaimed. All of a sudden they came back to their sense and flinched.

"S-sorry," Lux stuttered, ashamed, backing away with his arms up, "I, I didn't mean to frighten you. Um, I'll dispel Bahamut now-"

"No! It's us who are sorry!" Sharis cut in, flustered, "We shouldn't have acted that way,"

"Yeah, that was totally our fault! We're the ones who pushed you to show us too!" Tillfar added.

"...it was an understandable reaction though," Lux said, smiling sadly.

"Ah, crap," Sharis muttered. Tillfar silently agreed.

They'd urged him to show them Bahamut, his secret, and now they were acting scared of him. A huge slap in the face. They had grown to enjoy his company and friendship, ruining it would not be acceptable, especially after the amount of trust he'd just shown.

"...you guys can ask question y'know," Lux offered encouragingly, "I'm sure you have them,"

"...I don't think that'd be fair for you, Lux-cchi," Tillfar said quietly.

"No, I don't mind," he responded, shaking his head, "It'd be nice to talk to you guys about it. And besides, Airi told me you were curious, Noct,"

When they stayed silent, he continued.

"I trust you guys," he said with a smile.

And so, tentatively, they started asking him questions.

* * *

 **Note: The nightmare was supposed to be of Lux trapped in an hourglass, but I don't think it was very obvious.**


	6. Chapter 6

"...you'll be participating in the Ruins investigation too, Krulcifer-san?" Lux asked in feigned surprise, "But I thought you couldn't participate with the Syvalles, since you're a transfer student from Ymir,"

It was the next day, and he and Krulcifer were in the mess hall, eating a lunch of sandwiches and a salad.

"Yes, but I asked for an exception. There's something I have to do," she explained vaguely.

"...is there anything I can do to help?" he asked gently. She smiled before answering him.

"No, you've done more than enough, after agreeing to Balzeride's challenge like you did,"

"But, if I could do anything else to help..." he trailed off.

"...you really are kind, huh" Krulcifer noted, almost to herself, "And you don't get mad, do you? Most people would be angry after getting dragged into a duel,"

"I couldn't just do nothing though," Lux reasoned.

"...you could've," Krulcifer whispered.

Lux never got to respond though, since Lisha and Philuffy all of a sudden appeared.

"Lux! Can you come to the hangar! I finished tweaking your sword device!" Lisha said excitedly.

"You know Lisesharte," Krulcifer started with a teasing smile, "You shouldn't interrupt two lovers having lunch together,"

"Guh!"

"It's fine," Lux quickly cut in, "I asked Lisha-sama to look at my sword device before the investigation,"

"Lu-chan, do you want an orange?" Philuffy asked, holding out a peeled orange.

"Ah, sure, thanks!" he said, accepting the orange. He had just bitten into it though, before the Triad appeared.

"Ho, did the princess only look at his Wyvern, or did she look at something else too?" Sharis said, walking over with the rest of the Triad and Airi.

"Yeah! Or did she look at something more secretive?"

"Yes. I judge that something's going on,"

"SHARIS!" Lisha yelled, red-faced and mortified, "That's not what happened!"

"Noct!" Airi exclaimed, surprised at her roommate playing along with the seemingly dirty joke. Noct just smile at her in return.

"...I didn't expect you to say such an inappropriate joke, Sharis," Krulcifer said, surprised.

"I'm not! You guys should get your minds out of the gutter!" she laughed, slinging an arm around Lux, who chuckled along with her.

"Lux! Don't laugh with them!" Lisha said, turning to look at Lux.

"But she's right. It wasn't inappropriate," he said, stifling his laughter.

"But what does she mean then-" abruptly she cut herself off.

"Wait," she said, turning to look at the Triad, "do they know?"

Lux nodded his head, and Lisha seemed surprised, but didn't say anything else.

"...did he tell you all?" Airi whispered to Noct, who nodded.

"...it seems you're quite popular, Lux-kun," Krulcifer said. Of course, she knew that they were referring to his other sword device, Bahamut. She hadn't realized though that Lux had been so close to the Triad, and trusted them enough to tell them his secret.

 _He seems to be gaining more and more allies and friends at the Academy,_ she noted to herself.

* * *

After classes, at the drag-ride hangars. Syvalles was preparing to head off, when Raigree hit them with a bombshell. Or rather, the bombshell walked in through the door. It was Balzeride.

"...Raigree-sensei," Lisha asked, her voice low, "Why is this man here?" The students murmured their agreement. Krulcifer clenched her fist.

"Lord Balzeride has asked to be allowed to join the investigation," Raigree responded stiffly. She had heard unsavoury rumors about the blond-haired noble, and she didn't trust him.

"Why? Only members of Syvalles were told to participate,"

"...the House of Kreutzer had asked for an exception to be made,"

"Bullshit," Lisha whispered under her breath. Lux silently agreed with her.

"No need to worry!" Balzeride said loudly, "I'm a terrific drag-knight! I'm sure that I'll be able to take care of and protect all you girls! Most of all my future wife, Krulcifer,"

A ripple of indignation went through the students, most of all Krulcifer.

"Lord Balzeride," Raigree forced out through a fake smile, "Please don't coddle or demean the cadets,"

"I've no such intention, instructor!" he claimed.

"...jackass,"

"I think the Black Hero missed a few Old Empire scum,"

"Dang I feel bad for Krulcifer. Having this guy as a fiance,"

"Enough talk!" Raigree called out, "All units, move out!"

As they left Cross Field and flew for a short while, they came up on the cube-shaped Ruins, Garden.

It was massive, covered with a dense forest of the top most side, while its sides were made of a bluish sort metal, with intricate carvings running along most of its surface. It seemed to glow faintly.

"There it is," Krulcifer whispered, before surging forward.

"Oi Krulcifer!" Lisha called out, "Don't be too hasty! All units, spread out and prepare for landing!"

The members of Syvalles obeyed, but before they could get very far, a scream tore through the sky.

"GRAAAAAAHHHHHHH"

Out from a cloud flew an Abyss. But it wasn't a Gargoyle, no. It was a Diablos, a much stronger and faster Abyss. One that could, on its own, wipe out an entire town in the span of a few hours. Its pupil-less blood red eyes gleamed menacingly in contrast to the dull armour covering its entire body.

"Noct!" Lisha called, "How many are there?"

"Just this one Diablos, Lisha-sama," Noct replied, looking at the radar on her Drake.

Suddenly, the Diablos charged at Noct, lunging with its powerful jaws.

Noct though, was prepared.

The daily training with Sharis, Tillfar, and Lux had helped her tremendously, especially for a Drake user, who wasn't expected to do any actual combat. And though she hadn't mastered quick draw yet (none of the Triad had) her strength, agility, and reaction time had skyrocketed. She easily evaded the Diablos, but she wasn't safe yet. After all, her Drake had very little in terms of weaponry. She couldn't take it on in a straight fight yet.

Just as the thing turned to take another jab at her, Lux was on it.

His Wyvern tackled the Abyss, and while the thing turned to snarl in outrage, Lux slashed at it with his greatsword, landing a good hit, but not a fatal one. With a cry and a shove, the Diablos retreated.

But not before grabbing a Wyrm user on the way.

"GAH!"

"Somebody go help her!" Lisha commanded, before she and the others lunged forward.

"Shall we make a wager, Fallen Prince?" Balzeride suddenly said, appearing at Lux's side clad in the purplish grey armour of his divine drag-ride, Azi Dahaka.

"Now's not the time, Lord Balzeride," Lux said darkly, before joining the others in pursuit of the Diablos. Balzeride followed him.

"Whoever takes that Diablos down first gets to have a free shot at the other in our upcoming duel!" he said haughtily, flying beside Lux, as they neared the Diablos, who still held a struggling Wyrm in its claw.

"Wise Blood,"

Suddenly, a shot of cold energy hit the Diablos' arm, and the monster cried out in pain before dropping the student, who was quickly carried away by her teammates.

Krulcifer, from her place nearer to Garden, had her canon raised, magic circles in her irises.

"GRAAAAAAHHH"

The Diablos, angrier now that ever, started foaming at the mouth, before lunging at another student, a Wyvern user this time.

"LOOK OUT!" Lux yelled.

He lunged forward, putting himself between it and the student. The Diablos swung its great scaled arm at Lux, who blocked it with his sword.

"Go!" Lux told the Wyvern user, as he pushed back against the Diablos.

"R-right," she said, before quickly retreating.

"Wise Blood," Krulcifer chanted once again, intending to kill the Diablos.

But something happened, or rather, nothing at all happened. The magic circles didn't manifest. Her divine dress didn't activate.

"...what? Why isn't Wise Blood working?!"

"LUX! LOOK OUT!" Lisha abruptly called out.

*BOOM!*

"GRAAAAAAHHH!"

"AGH!" Lux cried out in pain. Something had just hit him and the Diablos. He felt Wyvern's armour splintering, and the nerves in his back burning and tingling before going numb. He'd gotten hit with a drag-ride's energy canon.

"LORD BALZERIDE!" thundered Raigree, sword raised and eyes glaring dangerously, "WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Relax woman!" he responded condescendingly, "I was trying to get a good aim on that Abyss, and the Fallen Prince simply got in the way!"

"GOT IN THE WAY?!" Lisha yelled out in fury, "You just attacked your teammate!"

"Scum like him isn't worthy of being MY teammate, princess," he responded with a harsh laugh.

"You," Lisha started angrily, here eyes burning in cold hatred.

"Lisha-sama!" Sharis said, "The Diablos is exploding!"

The Diablos, his body now scorched black, had started cracking and glowing an ominous red.

"Shit! All unites, deploy barriers at max input!"

As Lisha raised her barrier to max, she looked over and saw Krulcifer unmoving, still stunned from her divine dress' failure to activate.

"...why?" was all that she said, a despaired look in her eyes.

"Krulcifer-san!" Lux called out, before forcing himself to move in front of her, his bloody and numb body covering hers as the Diablos let out one last cry, right before it detonated.

 ***BOOOOOOOOOM***

* * *

"...ow, my head," Lux said as he woke up.

 _Man, I really have to stop getting knocked out._

He was on the surface of Garden now, the one covered by a trees and foliage. His back was still numb, and his head was pounding, but otherwise he was fine.

"Looks like you're finally up, huh," a voice said to him.

Slowly, Lux stood up and looked at the voice's identity, Krulcifer. She looked worn down, but otherwise safe. She offered him a small smile.

"Thanks for shielding me back there. Because of it, I seem to be relatively fine"

"Ah, no, don't mention it," Lux responded sheepishly.

"...you seem to be getting hurt because of me a lot recently, huh," she whispered.

"Pardon?"

"It's nothing. Anyways we should get going,"

"Where?"

"Garden's altar. That was the meeting place that was decided on after all, if anybody were to get separated,"

"...are you sure you're feeling well enough to keep going?" Lux asked gently.

"If you don't want to go, that's fine," Krulcifer responded curtly, "But I'm going, no matter what,"

"No," Lux said, shaking his head, "I'll go with you,"

And with that, they started walking to the center of the forest, were there would be a path that led to the altar. But they didn't get very far until Krulcifer collapsed.

"Hah, hah…" she breathed heavily, breaking out into cold sweat. She had fallen on her hands and knees.

"Are you alright, Krulcifer-san?" Lux asked, kneeling down and putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Let's take a break, okay? You shouldn't push yourself too hard,"

"No." she gasped, still trying to catch her breath, "I, have to go, no matter what,"

"...understood. At least let me help you then, alright?"

Lux helped her up and slung one of her arms over his shoulder, supporting most of her weight. And with that, they continued steadily onwards.

It was nightfall now, and they'd decided to make camp. Krulcifer, even in her haste to reach the altar, knew that it would be suicide to try and navigate the forest in the dark.

There was a warm campfire, and the two were eating the hardy rations they'd brought with them on the investigation.

"You know, you're an extraordinarily understanding person, Lux-kun," she said suddenly, setting aside her meal.

"Ah, I don't know about that," he answered with an awkward laugh.

"You're quite humble too, it seems," she responded, giving him a tired smile.

"...you didn't even ask why I'm so dead set on going to the altar," she said softly.

"You have your own reasons for going, and I get that,"

"But you didn't have to come with me," she countered.

"I couldn't just let you go by yourself, especially knowing how tired you were,"

"...perhaps you're too kind for your own good, Lux-kun"

"? I don't think so. You're my teammate and friend after all, Krulcifer-san,"

"...I don't think a friend would be someone who would drag you into a deadly duel just for their own selfish sake," she said darkly.

"I don't think of it as you forcing me, Krulcifer-san!" Lux assured, a bit surprised, "I did it of my own will, because I wanted to help,"

"That's why you're too kind, Lux-kun. I've brought you nothing but trouble and danger since I first met you,"

"That's not true at all, Krulcifer-san," Lux said, shaking his head.

"Well, seeing as we both seem pretty adamant in our stances, how about we put the conversation away and get some rest? We'll be going quite a distance when the sun comes up after all,"

"Ah, yes. You can sleep first, Krulcifer-san. I'll take first watch,"

"Alright, then I'll head to bed Luxー" abruptly Krulcifer cut herself off. She'd been walking to where they'd set up the tents, when she'd notice Lux's back.

His thin pilot suit had been scorched black, with scratches littering his entire back. Where his neck met his right shoulder, shards of metal had dug themselves into his skin, and a thin trail of blood ran from the ugly wound.

 _Did...did this happen when he was covering for me in the explosion?_ She thought in horror.

"Lux-kun," she forced herself to say, "When did this happen?"

"When did what happen?"

Krulcifer stepped closer to him, and gently touched the area close to his still bleeding wound.

"Ow!" he hissed. Krulcifer jerked her hand back like she'd been scalded.

"...I'm sorry" she said softly.

"Oh, don't worry! My back's pretty numb, so I can't actually feel any pain unless I touch it," Lux assured with a smile.

"Your back being numb isn't a good thing Lux-kun," she berated softly, "Why didn't you say anything to me before? That you were hurt."

"I didn't want to trouble you with something like this. I'll be fine, I can take this much pain,"

 _Why can you endure so much?_ Krulcifer wondered silently. To be honest, it kind of worried her, how little he cared about himself.

"Lux-kun, let's make a deal," she said. Lux tilted his head at her, urging her to continue.

"From now on, we'll rely on each other freely, okay?. You'll let me know when something's wrong, and I'll let you know if something's wrong. Deal?"

"...of course," Lux said, giving her a soft smile.

"Alright then," she said, returning the smile, "Let me help you get those metal shards out of your shoulder, before they dig themselves any deeper,"

Slowly, she started removing the pieces of metal from Lux's shoulder, taking care not to cause him any more harm.

As Krulcifer worked in the glow and warmth of the campfire, Lux was lulled into a comfort that he hadn't felt in a long time. Her touch was gentle and soothing, and so was her presence and company in general, even if they didn't talk. He realized that he'd truly missed this close relationship of theirs. He closed his eyes and exhaled softly.

* * *

"Hey, do you guys think Lux-cchi's alright?" Tillfar asked with a worried expression.

"Yes, he seemed pretty hurt before the explosion occurred," Noct added.

"Lux will be fine," Lisha assured, "That guy isn't someone who would go down because of something like this. Just trust him,"

"Yes, the princess is right. Lux is strong after all," Sharis agreed.

The Triad and Lisha were sitting in their own camo, next to a fire. They were lucky that most of the members of Syvalles had ended up close together, aside from Lux and Krulcifer of course. Even Balzeride was here, although he'd long retired to his own tent.

"And besides," Sharis continued, smiling encouragingly, "He's not alone. Krulcifer's with him too, Noct saw them both on her radar"

"But before, she seemed pretty shaken up, since her divine dress malfunctioned," Tillfar said.

"Yes, hopefully they're alright," Noct said.

"You two worry too much! You don't really think Lux'll be taken down by something like this, do you?" Sharis laughed heartily.

"'Course not!" Tillfar laughed, perking up, "I know him better than that! I guess that I'm just worried that the two lovers might get a little too frisky, y'know?"

"Yes. I wouldn't want to report anything unsavoury to Airi, after all," Noct said, smiling slightly, while Sharis laughed and agreed.

"!" Lisha's face went red at their comments, before she sighed.

"Since when were you all so close to Lux anyway," she said to no one in particular.

At her words the three best friends stopped laughing, and looked at each other.

"I guess after he told us about his secret," Tillfar said, "But I feel like that's putting it way too shallow,"

"Yes. I believe that that made us closer, but we'd been close beforehand too,"

"I guess it just sorta happened," Sharis said.

"I have enough trouble just dealing with that air-headed childhood friend of his, I don't want to deal with three other rivals too!" Lisha complained without really thinking about it. Sharis, Tillfar, and Noct all did a double take at that.

"W-wait, Princess!" Sharis said, flustered, "It's, we're not like that! We're just good friends!"

"Yeah! There's nothing like that between us and Lux-cchi!" Tillfar insisted, her face flushed.

"Y-yes. He's just a reliable teammate who we trust in," Noct said, her cheeks gaining the slightest tint of red.

Lisha, realizing what she had just said, and admitted, had a deep blush of her face, but she squinted suspiciously at the Triad.

"Sure," she whispered sarcastically, "At least I can admit that I like him,"

"Princess! Like we said we're not like that!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the lack of new chapters. School dumped a load of work on me, and I didn't have as much time to write, but I will post more regularly now.**

 **I don't own Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut.**

* * *

It was early morning, and Lux and Krulcifer had started trekking the final stretch to the altar. As they neared the altar, it started to rain. By the time they got there, they were both decently soaked, but otherwise fine.

The altar was a ring of greyish marble columns, overrun with vines and weeds. In the center was a circular raised platform made of white stone.

"We're here," Krulcifer noted absentmindedly. Slowly, she stepped into the ring of columns, and onto the raised platform.

 _Here it comes,_ Lux thought.

 _Whrrrrrr, confirming key's identification. Identity confirmed, access granted. Transporting to the second layer management floor._ a robotic voice from seemingly nowhere called out.

"...I'd hoped this wasn't the case," Krulcifer whispered despairingly, as the columns and platform started glowing with a blue light.

"Krulcifer-san!" Lux called out as he ran towards the platform, stepping on just as the light flooded their surroundings.

"Ow. Where are we?" Lux said as he came to.

"Inside Garden, it looks like," Krulcifer responded.

They were inside a tunnel of sorts, but instead of stone, the walls were covered in metal boxes, jutting out at awkward angles. Here and there, the same boxes littered the floor.

Lux knew what the boxes where. They contained old texts, drag-ride pieces, and sometimes, in big enough boxes, there were sword devices or other rare weapons. They were sturdily built though, and it took a team of metal workers working together to pry them open.

Krulcifer bent down, and picked up one of the metal boxes in her hands, and it started to glow. Within moments, the box had disintegrated, and from it, a collection of papers scattered to the ground.

"..." Krulcifer clenched her teeth and eyes shut. The box's reaction only confirmed her belief.

 _I'm not human._

"...Krulcifer-san?" Lux asked gently. He knew what was happening, and what she was going through, but he had to wait until she felt ready to tell him.

"Lux-kun," she started softly, not looking at him, "Will...will you listen to my story?"

"Of course, if you feel comfortable enough to tell me,"

"I, I'm not a human of this world," she said, faltering slightly, "But you'd probably already guessed that from the Ruins' reaction to me."

"I was found as a baby, by my father, the head of the Einfolk House, and he raised me, hoping that I would unlock the secrets of the Ruins for him. They never told me I was adopted, about my origins, but I found out quickly," here Krulcifer took a shuddering breath, before continuing again.

"Maybe when I was around 7, I noticed that the butlers, the maids, my family, they treated be like I was an outsider. I looked at their laughter and warmth they shared as a family, and I wanted to be apart of it too. I thought that, maybe if I excelled as a drag-knight, if I was learned in military arts and graceful in social interactions, that they'd accept me, that I'd be part of the family" she recounted, before breaking out in a bitter smile.

"But it was the opposite. I studied hard, trained religiously, and was eventually recognized and gifted Fafnir when I was 14. When that happened, I thought my adopted family might be proud of me, might accept me. But they'd just treated me even more coldly, as if my achievements only cemented how different I was from them," she said coldly.

"My hope was that, as a survivor of the Ruins, I might find someone like me, another survivor perhaps, someone I could call my family. I thought of the Black Hero, but…" she trailed off and looked fondly at Lux.

"He turned out to be more human than anyone I've ever met. Now, I wanted to make sure that I was actually a survivor from the Ruins. I wanted some concrete proof of it, and I found it. I'm a survivor of the Ruins, a survivor without any family," she ended, lowering her gaze and clenching her teeth.

"...but you're not alone. Even if you don't have any blood relations, you're not alone" Lux said softly.

"I wonder about that," she answered forlornly.

"Do I not count as a friend, Krulcifer-san?" Lux asked, downtrodden. He'd hoped they were at least close enough to say that.

"You're a better friend than I deserve," she said, "But I wonder if I can claim the same for myself," she smiled bitterly.

"Krulcifer-san!" Lux suddenly exclaimed, startling her. She idly noted that this was the first time she'd heard him raise his voice at someone. Even when talking with Balzeride he hadn't yelled, though his voice had been harsh and cold.

Lux had had enough. He'd visited her family before he was transported to the past, and he knew that they did care for her, immensely. Her father had only been trying to protect her, and that meant distancing her from family politics, and sending her to a country where she'd hopefully be safer

And more than that. He knew first hand how strong she was, how capable and amazing. They'd fought side by side, she had saved him for times than he could count, and to hear her putting herself down to such a degree…

It frustrated him, beyond belief.

"You're a good person!" he said fiercely, clasping one of her shoulders to look her in the eye, "You are strong, you are capable, you are kind, you are a good friend, and you are not alone. I trust you, wholeheartedly, and I'll always defend you,"

"So what if you're a survivor of the Ruins?!I'm a survivor of the abhorrent Old Empire! If you're calling yourself inhumane, then I must be a monster! Your lineage doesn't matter! You are you, not what past actions of past family members dictate! And nothing will ever change that!"

By the time he finished, his irises were glowing faintly in the dimness of the tunnel.

Krulcifer, startled by his adamancy, had her eyes wide in disbelief, along with a faint blush because of how close Lux had gotten. He was right in front of her face, staring determinedly at her. Suddenly, she smiled, and chuckled.

"You know, 'lover-kun,' you really shouldn't take a woman's whinings so seriously," she said teasingly. But inside her head, she was thinking something else.

 _Thank you, for trusting me, for everything you said and believe. I'll pay your kindness back, I promise. It's the least I can do, in return for your friendship._

Lux blushed a bit of how forceful he'd been, and quickly stepped back, hoping his sudden touch didn't make her uncomfortable.

"...you weren't whining though, were you, Krulcifer-san," he said, still blushing a little. Her only response was a teasing smile.

"Say," she started, studying him inquisitively, "How did you, as a prince of that infamous Old Empire, ever get to be this kind and understanding. I heard that men of the Old Empire were all entitled, misogynistic bastards," Lux smiled at her comment, before growing serious and responding.

"Do you want to hear my story, Krulcifer-san?" She nodded.

"As the seventh prince, I was always overlooked, since I was so far in line from the throne," Lux explained, "And so, I was spared from the workings and atrocities of the court, and was raised almost entirely by my mother,"

"My mother was beautiful," he said with a nostalgic smile, "She was kind and learned, and taught that men and women were of equal standing, and that neither was to be treated with more respect than the other,"

"She taught me that no one was born evil. Evil is taught by one's surroundings, either through necessity to survive, or through plain bigotry. Every seemingly evil person could be changed, she said, through compassion and understanding and unconditional love. I try to live up to that idea as best as I can," he said, feeling a lump in his throat as he thought of his mother.

"...what happened to her?" Krulcifer asked, before realizing something, "Sorry, that was an insensitive question, you don't have to answer it,"

"No it's fine," Lux assured, "It'd be nice to finally tell someone about it,"

"My grandfather, sharing my mother's style of thought, spoke out about the cruelties and injustices of the Old Empire, and was jailed and killed as a result," Lux said darkly, and Krulcifer winced.

"My mother, Airi, and I were banished from the palace, and forced to a villa in a neighboring town. My mother was able to convince the King to allow Airi to stay at the royal palace for a while longer though, until she was healthier. At the time, she was deathly sick and frail, and we were afraid she wouldn't survive.

"On the carriage ride to the villa, just me and my mother, it started raining heavily, and there was a landslide…"

 _Oh no,_ though Krulcifer, flinching at what was to come.

"T-the carriage got swept up," Lux said, faltering, "When I came to, my mother was buried under rubble, bleeding and unconscious, but still alive. Townspeople had shown up, calling down and asking if everyone was okay, and yelling for a doctor. I, I yelled back, said that we were part of the royal family, that my mother was hurt, and that they would be rewarded if they helped. All of a sudden, the townspeople stopped talking and moving. I was confused, I didn't understand why they weren't coming down to help anymore. Then, one of them threw a rock at me,"

"Good lord," Krulcifer winced.

"It wasn't long before the rest of the crowd started stoning me either. One hit me dead on the skull, and I started bleeding. I think I still have that scar somewhere, actually," Lux said monotonically, "They cursed us for being part of the royal family, of being a part of the regime that had oppressed them, and left us to die. My mother bled out there, in the dirt and rain, and I watched as she took her last breath, still trying to stop the bleeding."

"My mother, and my grandfather, despite speaking out against the empire, for the good of the people, had been killed by them," Lux said frustratingly, "They died condemned by both the nobles and the common folk,"

"For a long time, I was angry. I hated the people and the nobles and the world for ripping apart my family. I think I would've stayed like that too, if it hadn't been for Phi-chan," he whispered.

"Your childhood friend, right?"

"Yeah. After my mother's death, she was the only one who stayed, who visited me and Airi. It was her who pulled me out of my depression and loathing. I realized that I didn't want to hate anyone, and that, with my mother and grandfather gone, and with Airi too young and sick, it was up to me to realize their ideas,"

"That's why I overthrew the Old Empire, why I'm who I am today," he finally finished.

"...you're extraordinary, you know that?" Krulcifer said softly.

"I don't think so. If it hadn't been for Phi-chan, I don't know where I'd be today,"

"...I think that, had things turned out differently, you'd have made a good king," she whispered softly.

"What?"

"Lux-kun," Krulcifer said suddenly, looking him in the eye, "If you had ended up becoming the prince of the New Kingdom, would you have saved me,"

"Yes, without question," was his immediate reply.

They never got to continue the conversation pass that point though.

*CRASH*

"GAH!" Lux yelped in surprise, as something crashed through the tunnel walls.

"Lux! Krulcifer! Are you two alright?!" Lisha called, emerging from a hole, where the wall was supposed to be, clad in the armour of a Wyrm. But instead of an arm, there was an enormous spinning drill that was at least half the size of the drag-ride itself.

"...we're fine," Krulcifer said, "But why is there a drill on that Wyrm's arm?"

"Oh this?" Lisha said excitedly, raising her drill/arm, "It was a rare piece recently found on an expedition. Isn't it cool?!"

"..sure, let's go with that," Krulcifer said with a wry smile.

* * *

"Haah, I'm finally back," Lux said in relief as he entered his room.

It was late afternoon by the time they got back to the Academy. The students were dismissed, and allowed to change, eat, wash up, and rest. Lux had opted to change and rest before going for food and a bath.

"Ah, Lu-chan, welcome back," Philuffy greeted with a small smile. She was sitting at one of the tables, eating a plate of donuts.

"Thanks," he said, returning the smile.

He dropped his pack on the ground, breathing a sigh of relief and rolling his shoulders.

 _Now, the only problem is how I'll get changed with Phi-chan here._

"Lu-chan," Philuffy said, "What's wrong with your back,"

"Oh, it's nothing! I'm fine," Lux tried to lie.

"...let me see,"

"No really! You don't have to botherーPHI-CHAN! What are you doing?!"

"Taking your pilot suit off,"

"The suit is one piece! You can't just take the top off!"

"Then I'll just take it all off,"

"NO!"

As Philuffy tried to unzip his pilot suit, Lux tried to fend her off, without much luck, since again, his entire back was burned, and he still had that wound on his shoulder. Also, Philuffy was absurdly strong, having that Ragnorok seed implanted in her body.

 _We'll be going to the training island soon,_ Lux thought as he struggled with Philuffy, _I'll have to figure something out before Hayes shows up and tries to mind control Phi-chan._

"Oi, Lux-cchi! How ya feeling?" Tillfar's voice called from the other side of the door, before she opened it and came in.

Only to see Lux with his pilot suit half off his shoulders, and Philuffy practically on top of him trying to pull the rest of it down.

"Lux-cchi, Philuffy-chan, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!"

"I-it's not what it looks like!"

"Tillfar! Is everything alright in there?!" Sharis called.

"Yes. It seems to be very lively in there,"

"Is something wrong, Nii-san?"

"Yo, Lux! Is everything all right?" Lisha asked.

"Do you not feel well, Lux-kun?" Krulcifer inquired.

They all walked into the room, saw Tillfar gaping at the scene in front of her, and saw Lux half-naked with Philuffy restraining his arms, trying to get his pilot suit down.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE THE TWO OF YOU DOING?!"

"Like I said, it's a misunderstanding!" Lux cried, struggling to get his arms back from Philuffy.

Pandemonium. The girls all started yelling/questioning him while trying to pull the two of them apart, but Philuffy wasn't letting go until she had seen what was hurting Lux's back, much to the ire of the others. It started to get so loud, that the other students walking by had started asking if everything was alright. It would've worsened too, if someone hadn't accidentally struck Lux in the back.

"AGH!" he hissed, doubling over in pain. The others immediately sprung back, even Philuffy.

"Lux! What's wrong? Are you hurt一" Lisha asked him worriedly, before she cut herself off. That's when she and the others got a good look at Lux's back.

Angry red burn marks covered almost his entire back. The skin starting to blister.

"Nii-san!" Airi gasped, "What happened?!"

"Um, it's a kind of long story. I kind of got hit by Balzeride's energy canon, but it's not that bad! I can't really feel it unless something presses on it!" he tried to assure them. Tried.

"What do you mean it's 'not that bad'?!" Airi responded angrily.

"Yes. You should go to the infirmary, Lux-san" Noct agreed worriedly.

"I know! I was just going to wait until the other members of Syvalles were treated and the nurse had time for a breather!"

"Lux you should've been the FIRST to go,"

"I'll be fine, and一PHI-CHAN! Stop pulling me!"

"You have to go see the nurse, Lu-chan," her expression, while maintaining its usual calm, had tightened, and she started to pull his arm insistently.

"Ok, I will! Just let me get dressed first!"

"No,"

"Phi-chan!"

"I can't believe it," Krulcifer said out loud, rubbing her temples, "This guy is going to get himself killed from not wanting to bother the nurse. How did he survive up till now?"

"God knows how," Lisha said, face palming.

"I'm telling you all, it's not that bad!"

* * *

"You have second degree burns all through your back," the nurse said, squinting at his back, "It's pretty bad,"

"Yeah, it's not that bad he said," Lisha muttered under her breath.

"Cadet Lux Arcadia," Raigree said through false smile, "Can you please explain why you decided NOT to come to the nurse's immediately after you got back?"

"U-um, I, uh, didn't think it was that bad?" he tried to explain.

"THAT BAD?! HOW COULD YOU THINK THAT SECOND DEGREE BURNS WEREN'T 'THAT BAD'?!" Raigree yelled, before starting to drill into Lux, who sat there and winced while the nurse applied aloe vera and wrapped his torso.

"He also has a wound on his shoulder that should also be looked at," Krulcifer added.

"More wounds?" the nurse said incredulously. Raigree stopped her lecture so that she could face palm at her student's stupidity.

"Nii-san," Airi said with a cold smile, "Are there any more injuries you would like to mention right now?"

"U-um no, that's all, I swear!"

"Sure Lux-cchi, sure," Tillfar said suspiciously, with a frown. In all honesty, she was a little hurt that he didn't mention anything to her or Sharis or Noct. She'd thought he could trust them enough for that. It was a sentiment shared by the rest of the Triad, Philuffy, Krulcifer, Lisha and Airi as well.

"Um, excuse me, nurse?" Lux asked.

"Yes?" she said, while still wrapping his torso.

"Will I be able to do any training or move around in a drag-ride after the burns are treated?"

"...light training maybe, if you don't overdo it. No drag-ride handling though, the metal may press against your burned back. If the pain starts to become unbearable, come to me for painkillers, and if you start seeing signs of infections, come see me immediately,"

"But," the nurse said, "Based on what was told to me, you've had this burn for around 24 hours without treatment. For it not to be infected is amazing, and the burns had been healing at a remarkable rate from what I saw. But for future reference, as soon as you get burned, run it under cool water, and next time, don't peel the burned clothing off,"

"Ah, yes, understood," Lux replied, but he was only half paying attention.

 _I have to fight in that duel against Balzeride with Krulcifer-san soon. That'll be hard to do with my back screwed up, but I think I'll be able to manage._

"Lux! Are you paying attention to what the nurse is saying?!" Raigree asked angrily.

"Y-yes sensei!"

"Haaah, I'm tired," Lux said, after finally leaving the nurse's office after a scolding from both Raigree and Airi.

"Yes. But you brought this on yourself, Lux-san," Noct said monotonically.

"We're kind of offended Lux, I thought we were closer than that," Sharis said in a miffed kind of way.

"Yes, I agree," Krulcifer said, looking coldly at him. After all, they'd made an agreement to rely on each other, and he was already breaking it.

 _But then again,_ she thought to herself, _I'll be breaking our agreement too._

"You have to actually let us know about these things, Lux!" Lisha grumbled.

"Y-yes, I'm sorry,"

"Anyway," Airi said, "You should go back to your room for some rest, Nii-san. Philuffy-san, could you take if back please?"

"Uhn," she said in agreement, before the two of them left.

"Why do I need to be taken back to my room by someone else?" Lux complained quietly, before they turned the corner and were out of sight.

"Airi-chan? Could I talk to you for a moment?" Krulcifer asked.

"...is it about the duel?" Krulcifer nodded.

"Wait," Sharis said, cutting in, "What duel? Is something wrong?"

 _They deserve to know,_ Airi decided.

"...Nii-san is set to fight alongside Krulcifer-san against Lord Balzeride in a duel tonight,"

"?!"

"Wait, wait, time out!" Tillfar said, face panicked, "Why's Lux-cchi and Krulcifer fighting in a duel?! What's going on?!"

"...it's my fault," Krulcifer said quietly, "Do you guys remember how I requested Lux-kun to become my lover for the week?"

"Oh my god," Sharis muttered, rubbing her temples.

"...Why didn't Lux-san tell any of us?"

"You shouldn't take it to heart, Noct. That's just how Nii-san, always trying to take care of everything by himself," Airi consoled.

"But Krulcifer-chan, why did you drag him into your family dispute?" Tillfar questioned somewhat accusingly, "This is too much for a work request. Lux-cchi could die,"

"I know," Krulcifer responded, "Which is why I'll make sure that Lux doesn't show up to the duel. I think slipping him some sleeping powder would knock him out long enough,"

 _I won't endanger him anymore,_ vowed Krulcifer, _He's done enough, more so than I deserve. It was nice though, having someone to talk to and to laugh with. Maybe in a different time…_

 _You don't understand Nii-san very much, do you Krulcifer-san?_ Airi thought, looking at Krulcifer.

* * *

"Nii-san, I brought you something,"

It was sunset now, and only a couple of hours before the duel.

"Ah, thanks Airi,"

Lux was in his room preparing for the duel, when Airi had showed up with a mug of tea.

"You should drink some, Nii-san. It's herbal tea from Krulcifer-san. She said that it will help you relax,"

"I will,"

 _I won't, that's a sleeping drug. But I'm pretty sure that Airi knows I won't be drinking it. She knows me too well._

The mug of tea would stay untouched as Airi walked out and Lux started getting ready for the duel.

* * *

"Oh, what's this? Has your partner abandoned you, my future wife?" Balzeride asked Krulcifer with faked sympathy.

The time is midnight: the night sky was clouded and starless, the moon nowhere to be seen. Balzeride. Alterize, and Krulcifer were standing on a grassy field, littered here and there with the ruins from the days of the Old Empire.

"I've sent him back. He's accomplished his role already," Krulcifer replied smoothly and coldy, "And besides, I can handle the two of you on my own."

"What arrogance you have!" Balzeride exclaimed with mocked surprise.

"...Ojou-sama, please forfeit the match," Alterize requested quietly. Though she wasn't too familiar with Krulcifer, she understood her situation, despite not being able to do anything about it. She also wished no harm to her.

"You know I can't do that, Alterize," Krulcifer said coldly, before drawing her blade. Balzeride and Alterize followed suit.

The match was starting.


End file.
